Plan Your Snack Attack

A recent study reported that over 95 percent of North American women and children in this country have at least one snack each day.

Now there’s nothing wrong with snacking. The trouble arises with most popular snacks in are loaded with sugar, packed with fat and dusted over with a heaping blast of salt.

Since snacking is very much a part of our routine, the secret is planning for it. What do I mean? First off, usually snacks are spontaneous. They shouldn’t be.

Grabbing whatever is in the fridge or the first thing you see in the vending machine usually spells disaster. Instead, be prepared with a variety of healthy snacks, so when the urge strikes, you don’t just grab a Twix at the checkout counter.

Secondly, keep your snacks in places readily available. If you usually find yourself stopping for a quick bite on the commute home from work, it may be wise to pack a snack in your glove compartment.

At the same time, be sure to keep only a limited amount of snacks on hand. Even healthy snacks can become a problem when consumed in abundance. Lastly, try to plan when you’re going to snack and stick to it. This will help in several ways.

Most importantly, it takes spontaneity out of the equation. When you snack on impulse, it’s very hard to have control over how often you snack, what you eat and how much. We usually snack when stressed, bored, depressed or lonely. Not the best time to make decisions.

In a nutshell, if you’re like most people, you are going to snack. Be smart and prepare a choice of healthy snack items like nuts, fruits and fresh cut vegetables. Keep them accessible and plan ahead. Good health will follow!