There’s no doubt that regardless of how much you exercise or how well you eat, excessive snacking or poor snacking habits can weaken your efforts. Therefore, adopting healthy snacking habits is critical in achieving optimal metabolic and physical benefits. As you read this article, you’ll learn how to curb night snacking.
Treat Snacks as Meals
For most people, eating offers more than mere sustenance and is intended to also be pleasurable. Thus, treating snacks like meals will allow you to enjoy what you’re eating more. Simply eating trail mix out of a bag, in front of the TV before bed promotes mindless eating and unrestrained caloric consumption. Just as you wouldn’t normally watch TV when eating dinner with your family, you should also avoid snacking in front of the TV or when using other electronic disruptions.
Nutritional experts urge people to avoid using electronics when eating because when your attention is not primarily centered on your food, you’re less inclined to notice your “body’s signal of fullness“. To prevent such a caloric catastrophe, pour your favorite variety of vitamin-rich nuts on a dish and add some unsweetened dried fruit. This will create a visually appealing platter in a controlled portion, encouraging you to focus on your food and to mindfully savour this snack without overeating.
Graze Throughout the Day
Another way to effectively combat the urge to binge eat at night is to graze throughout the day by eating smaller portions of food more frequently. Naturally, those who skip meals throughout the day or are more likely to fall victim to over-indulging in the evening. Eat a protein-rich breakfast with fibrous veggies, like an egg and kale omelette, to boost your metabolism and to lay a nice foundation of healthy eating for the remainder of the day. Other solid breakfast option that nutritionists suggest is a protein shake.
Select Low Calorie Snacks
When a ravenous appetite sneaks up on you, even after dinner, choosing low calorie snacks is a must in avoiding a metabolic meltdown. Obviously, the best snack choices are fruits and veggies, but when you crave a little variety, pairing them with a few dollops of your favorite nut butter is ultra satisfying. Nuts, like almonds and pecans, are also excellent snack choices as they are full of healthy monounsaturated fats and nutrients like biotin, vitamin E, manganese, and more. Dried, unsweetened fruits like prunes, figs, and cherries pair well with nuts and offer a generous amount of fibre and a plethora of vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin B, magnesium, and iron.
Clearly, by simply practicing healthy eating habits throughout the day, you can easily steer clear of late-night binge eating sessions. By consuming smaller portions of food and snacking wisely, you’ll establish a healthy eating routine free of excessive night time snacking.
