Healthy snacking is all about mindset.
Snacks. It’s a hot topic for everyone. Healthy snacking is difficult for most people for a plethora of reasons. You don’t need me to tell you that you should be having sliced bell peppers with hummus instead of Oreo cookies. Still, most people – myself included – go for the cookies over the peppers.
Let’s be honest; the Oreos are more convenient, they’ve got that satisfying crunch, they’re fun (Don’t tell me you’re not twisting them open and scraping the cream out. I know you are!), and they’re kind of a comfort food – there’s something to be said for that. Especially if you’ve grown up eating Oreo cookies, it’s difficult to not automatically go for them. That being said, if you’re like a lot of people, after you’ve finished those Oreos, you feel guilty and you start beating yourself up for breaking your diet and nutritional goals.
How do we break this cycle?
Well, it’s less about what you eat and more about how we think about snacks and snack time.
The absolute most important thing is to not feel guilty. I know that’s easier said than done, but it’s true. Feeling guilty about a silly handful of cookies just perpetuates the cycle. Nutrition isn’t an all or nothing game. A few cookies here or there aren’t going to completely derail your nutritional goals, and let’s be honest, if you’re reaching for them as a comfort food, embrace it. The mental health boost you get in the moment likely outweighs the negative physical effects you’re getting from munching. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Enjoy your two or three a day.
Okay, so that’s once snack, but what about the rest of the day? We like to munch on something whilst driving, while watching TV or playing Nintendo before bed. We like snack at our desks at work and at other random points during the day. Two Oreos isn’t going to satiate our munchies. It’s my humble opinion that if we’re choosing healthy snacks for the rest of the day, it really doesn’t matter how much we’re snacking. However, we’re like, “Man, I can’t be bothered to chop up a bunch of veggies to snack on. I’ve got obligations.” Or “I just don’t like nuts and seeds enough to snack them on all day.”
Yeah. No problem.
My advice is to not go out of your way to eat stuff just because it’s healthy. That’s not going to stick. Find something that you enjoy, is convenient…. And just happens to also be healthy, to boot. There are loads of options out there. Cherry tomatoes, grapes, blueberries, cashews, veggie chips, protein bars, hard boiled eggs, celery, you name it.
On that note, food isn’t as simple as healthy v. not healthy. It’s a spectrum. Not only a spectrum, but every food has its unique benefits. Cheese sticks for example. Is it the healthiest choice in the fridge? No. Are they better than Oreos? Yes. Do cheese sticks have stuff some of your other choices don’t? Absolutely. They’re a great source of calcium, protein and vitamins A and D, where cherry tomatoes and carrots and hummus aren’t. If you’re feeling the cheese stick, take it.
And that’s the point; ultra processed foods like Oreos, cola, and gummy bears are as unhealthy as it gets. After that taking baby steps towards healthier snacking choices is great. Having variety, even if that includes not optimally healthy choices, is great. Ultimately, though; honoring your desires for convenience, flavor, and overall satisfaction is critical to developing a healthy snacking mindset. Have an Oreo or two a day if you want, but after that, if you’re looking for something to munch on take your checklist and add one more box to the end: Is it healthy, too?