It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, and you feel the munchies creep into your consciousness. Might you be conditioned to get those mid-afternoon cravings after years of buying afterschool snacks from the ice cream truck or local mini mart on the way home from school, during your youth?
Do you snack in the afternoon because you are hungry or because it is learned behavior? This is a question much like the endless pondering of the chicken or the egg.
Regardless of why you have the mid-afternoon munchies, there are strategies you can follow to beat the cravings monster and the ever-expanding waistline.
When you feel the attack of the Snack Monster, follow some of these suggestions to keep your cravings at bay:
- Drink water. The human thirst mechanism, sometimes, disguises itself as hunger or a sugar craving. Stay well hydrated to prevent over-eating and sugar binging, which both will lead to the late afternoon crash.
- Go for a walk. Many times, people will feel the urge to snack out of boredom. By changing your activity and catching fresh air, even for a few short minutes, you can stave off the urge to splurge at the vending machine.
- Select a nutrient dense snack. If the above two strategies still leave your stomach twisting with hunger, choose a snack containing a good source of dietary fiber, protein, and/or monounsaturated fat, which will be more filling, leaving you satisfied faster and longer. For example, these snacks can be any one of the following:
- up to 12 medium almonds
- ½ medium avocado drizzled with honey (or sprinkled with sea salt, balsamic vinegar, and feta crumbles for a savory avocado salad snack)
- apple slices or celery sticks with two level tablespoons of organic peanut or almond butter
- small Greek yogurt with ¼ cup of granola
- whole wheat or whole grain crackers with smear of soft cheese or one slice of hard cheese
Being healthy does not mean you have to suffer, blaming your parents for allowing your stop at the local 7-Eleven for Twinkies, and cursing the retired ice cream man, as you try to resist the evil Munchie Monster. You can outsmart the menace by taking any of the above approaches to staying lean and mean.
