Pre-Dinner Snack

I don't know about you, but after my long commute at the end of the day I find myself scrounging for anything I can get my hands on when I walk in the door. If there are foods in the house that are considered "tempting" treats like chocolate, cookies, chips and dip, forget about it! It is inevitable that those are the foods that my stomach will push me to consume! My brain knows that there are healthier options but my stomach rules when I have let myself get to the point of being over hungry.
Have you noticed this before? Think back on a few times when you found yourself elbow deep in a bag of salty chips or standing punching in the numbers on a vending machine, desperate for the Milky Way about to drop. If you can, think about what might have led to those types of "stomach based" decisions.
There comes a point at which you get so hungry that your natural drive to eat literally takes over and certain hormones even kick in, inducing cravings for high calorie, high fat, high sugar snacks. Using your better judgement during a time of extreme hunger is more often than not out of the question.

Here are a few reasons why you may find yourself in this predicament:
-You have skipped a meal to "be good"or save up calories for an event that night (dining out for example).
-You have unknowingly missed a meal because you were preoccupied with a task.
-You did not eat enough at your previous meal, leaving you unsatisfied and hungry a short time later.

Here are a few tips and solutions to avoid these situations:
-Go no longer than 3-4 hours between meals to keep hunger manageable.
-Get a balance of protein (meats, nuts, peanut butter, eggs), carbohydrate (bread, pasta, rice, crackers, cereal) and fats (oils, spreads) at each meal. A balanced meal or snack helps keep you satisfied between meals so that you are not poking around in the fridge a half an hour after your meal.
-Do not skip meals (especially breakfast) in an attempt to take in less calories. Studies show that people who skip end up taking in more calories throughout the rest of the day, and sometimes even more calories than if they had simply eaten a balanced meal. You are only making it more difficult on yourself to make good decisions if you leave yourself over hungry.
-Plan ahead for your trouble times. I learned that my most troublesome time was when I first got home at the end of the day. Now on my way home I start thinking about what I will eat when I come through the door. This eliminates me having to browse through the cupboards, munching on various snacks as I decide what the best one will be! Determine if you have a pattern and if there is a consistent time of day you find that you make decisions solely based on your stomach, not your brain.
-You may even try making snack packs that are ready when you get home or that you eat on the way home. This also takes the guesswork out of it.
-Keep the foods that you tend to overeat or find "tempting" OUT OF THE HOUSE! If you get home and there are only healthy options to snack on, you are one step ahead of the game.

Here is a great pre-dinner snack idea:
-List: hummus (I prefer Cedars), tabbouleh, salsa, baby carrots, celery, tortilla chips, seasonal fruit, cucumbers.
-Scoop out the ingredients into their own individual serving dishes (I use my ramekins because they are just the right portion) and arrange the baby carrots, celery and tortilla chips out on a serving dish. Just by making the "pre-dinner spread" a little bit fancier, it actually makes it more satisfying. It forces you to be mindful and eat slowly, enjoying each bite.
-All of these options are low-fat, low-calorie, high nutrient, high fiber foods, so you can feel good about this snack, while also feeling satisfied.











7-Day Goals:
Think about your trouble spot in your day where you might fall prey to "stomach" hunger decisions vs. well planned food decisions based on your brain. What can you do today to prevent yourself from getting too hungry?

All the best!
~K