Is snacking bad for you?

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Six steps to regain control

If you frequently find that you go for treats instead of snacks, here are some tips to help you regain some control:

1. Pre-portion

Split up your treat foods into sensible servings to encourage you to stick to one portion. Try to buy foods which come in single portions – for example a multipack of crisps instead of a large sharer bag, or individual chocolate bars rather than a big sharing bar.

2. Keep treats out of sight

Keep your treat foods somewhere where you don’t see them all the time so you aren’t constantly faced with temptation. Avoid kitchen worktops or eye-level in the fridge, and store them on the top shelf or at the back of a cupboard – anywhere which requires more effort to get to them!

3. Limit frequency

If you like a treat every day but it often results in you overeating, try a different approach. Allow yourself a treat every other day instead, and plan for it, so you avoid consuming excess calories.

4. Identify why you’re eating these foods

Before you open the snack cupboard, stop and check in with your feelings: are you feeling bored? Hungry? Anxious? Needing a pickup? Rewarding yourself? Identifying potential triggers is the first step to making a change.

5. Work on changing behaviours

Once you’ve identified why you’re eating too many treats, try to work on how to change this behaviour. If you’re feeling sad, think about why this is and try to address the root cause. If you’re bored, find something to distract you. If you really are hungry, consider what you’ve already eaten for the mealtimes that day, and consider if it was enough to sustain you. Then ask yourself, what is going to satisfy you more – chocolate or a slice of toast with some peanut butter?

6. Try the ‘if – then’ technique

This requires you to prepare in advance a list of things you will do instead when the urge to snack hits. So for example, “if I want a biscuit at 11am, then I will eat a piece of fruit first to take away the craving”. Or “if I go to grab a chocolate bar at 4pm, then I will head out for my daily walk and listen to my favourite music”. This can work because you have already decided in advance what your course of action will be, so you won’t have to think and find energy to make a decision when your willpower is already being challenged.

Remember: snack smart

While snacking isn’t inherently bad, the secret is to snack smart. Unlike a bar of chocolate, a piece of fresh fruit or handful of raisins will help you reach your 5-a-day. Similarly, a cracker with cheese or a yogurt will contribute to your dairy and calcium targets. Sweet treats or crisps can still be accommodated sometimes, just factor them into your diet by tracking what you’re eating.

Remember – no food in itself is bad, it’s the quantity and frequency with which we eat it that has the impact on our health and weight. As always, the answer is moderation!

Read more

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Emma White (ANutr, MSc Human Nutrition) is Senior Nutritionist for the calorie and nutrient tracking app Nutracheck. She is passionate about how food science applies to the human body, and how the nutrients in what we eat affect us and ultimately have an impact on our health.

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