Planned Snacks: Recognizing and Planning for Your Hunger Patterns

You feel it coming…your stomach starts to grumble, your mouth starts to water…you’re hungry! But wait, it’s 10 a.m., or 3 p.m., and it’s not meal time. So, what do you do? You may ignore it, but then you’re starving by your next meal and you overeat. Or, you look around the office and settle for a couple candy bars that ruin your appetite for your next meal. To avoid this dilemma, here are some tips for planned snacks:

  1.  Notice your hunger patterns. Each person’s is unique and doesn’t vary much from from day to day. Most people need their meals plus a snack or two.
  2. Plan for it. Bring in snacks you enjoy to work, and then you’ll have something ready for those hunger pains. Taking a break from work while you snack allows you to eat undistracted. You can return to work refreshed. And your hunger will return in time for your next meal.
  3. Give yourself permission. Planning the snack is the first step in permission giving that will help you avoid bad feelings and binge eating. There’s a reason your body is asking for food!
Healthy Snack
Plan snacks that you enjoy! Photo from Flickr @Kristin Brenemen.

“Your body needs refueling several times a day. Recognizing this, you can identify a pattern of meals and snacks that works for you,” says Peggy Crum, RD, nutritionist for the Health4U program. “Planning snacks helps you to provide food at the right time for your body. This makes snacking enjoyable and helps you to be productive for the rest of your work day.”

Useful links:

Health4U’s How to Eat course

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