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Healthy Snacking Habits

With planning and effort, healthy snacking habits can become part of your daily routine. But first, you must identify and practice the healthy snacking behaviors you want to adopt. Simply select those that suit your particular lifestyle, and practice them on a regular basis. If you do this while simultaneously eliminating any unhealthy snacking habits that you may have, you will probably see an improvement in your overall health.

  1. Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand

    • Keep a variety of nutritious snacks readily available in your home. They should be high in nutrients relative to calories. Stock your kitchen with items like fruit, whole grain crackers, fresh vegetables, peanut butter, yogurt, milk and juice; keep these snacks prepared in advance.

      For example, if you keep washed and cut vegetables along with a yogurt dip in the refrigerator, you will be more likely to reach for them than you would be if the vegetables are not completely ready to grab and eat.

    Eat Only When You're Hungry

    • Eat snacks when you are actually hungry, not when you are bored, to relieve stress or to reward yourself. Listen to your body signals to determine whether you are actually hungry. You may have the bad habit of taking cookies or handfuls of chips simply because you see them. If this is the case, either keep these items out of sight or banish them from the house. Whenever you find yourself reaching for them anyway, ask yourself if you are really hungry. If you are, take a healthy snack instead.

    Take Healthy Snacks with You

    • If you attend work or school, or are away from home for hours at a time, take nutritious snacks and drinks along with you. This way, you will be less tempted to purchase fast food or items from vending machines. A box of fruit juice and a healthy home made muffin, or some whole wheat bread with cheese and a piece of fruit are quite satisfying.

    Healthy Drinks

    • Sodas and other sugar-filled drinks provide calories with no corresponding food value. Instead of consuming these kinds of drinks with your snacks, try water, low-fat milk, flavored water or fruit juice. Herbal or green tea is also an excellent choice.

      If 100 percent fruit juice is too calorie-laden or concentrated for you, try mixing it with natural carbonated mineral water. Sugary drinks such as sodas can sabotage healthy snacking habits.

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