We don’t know about you but our snack supplies are dwindling very quickly!
If you’re one of the millions who are now working from home due to coronavirus, you’ll probably feel like you’re more than familiar with the four walls around you at this point. Social distancing has introduced an unprecedented sameness to your daily routine that will likely pave the way for boredom, and boredom usually equals unnecessary snacking.
Pair that with the fact the supermarkets are only sparsely stocked with food (no thanks to the rush of people panic-buying 46 tins of baked beans at a time) and it’s not exactly ideal to be drilling through your grazing supplies at super-speed!
Don’t worry we’re here to help and stopping snacking is easier said than done, so we’re going to share some useful advice on how to go about it:
1. Become a mindful eater
When we stay at home and have to cancel plans that we where very much looking forward too our mindset wants to compensate the sad or low feelings that we are having with a reward and what better reward during these times in isolation than snacking?! Our mindset says that we deserve a gift, but our mindset has to change. We have become mindless eaters instead of mindful eaters!
Mindfulness – which involves being actively present in whatever you’re doing at any given moment – is essential in healthy eating. Being present whilst you eat is essential in helping us avoid reaching for the cupboards when we think we are hungry.
2. Don’t stock up on the wrong things
Avoid a basket full of unhealthy snacks! Don’t go to the supermarket if you are feeling hungry, you get such easy access to unhealthy food and you will want it all. You can prevent a craving by having your lunch before you venture out on your essential shop.
When you do go to the supermarket, focus on buying “complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, all vegetables, beans, brown rice, quinoa, apples, berries, banana for example, as the sugar seeps into your body slowly throughout the day and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.” That’s if there are any complex carbohydrates left on the shelf, mind you!
3. Snack on food containing tryptophan
Don’t worry, we didn’t know what tryptophan was either. But apparently it’s an essential amino acid which will help the body to make proteins and brain signalling chemicals, which turn into serotonin that will control mood and help sleep patterns. That may seem like a lot of big words but basically it will improve your mood and help you sleep better!
Foods containing tryptophan include bananas, salmon, nuts, seeds and eggs – all great snacking foods (except maybe the salmon, unless you’re a millionaire). Turkey is also a great boost for serotonin levels which can help stabilise your mood.
4. Cook wholesome recipes
The idea being if you “make proper food” then there is absolutely no need to snack anyway. We recommend you to start working from those recipes that you’ve always wanted to make and eat proper meals at the table. If you are alone, cook for a few days and either freeze or eat the same food over two days. Apparently if you eat protein each day, you will not feel like snacking. So let’s give it a go!
5. Drink, drink, drink!
No, not the boozy kind – though we’ll allow you a glass of wine or two to get you through these tense times! Herbal teas and drinking water is a bit of trick to prevent excessive snacking, because we become full after drinking water, so remember to keep hydrated!
Hopefully these little tips will help us all to keep our snacking to a minimum and come out of isolation not having put on unnecessary weight.. here’s hoping anyway!
