It's 3pm - you haven't had anything since lunch and your stomach won't leave you alone.
Before you hit the vending machine or grab those office doughnuts, read this.
Anytime we are tired, extremely hungry, or had a roller-coaster run of emotions in our lives, chances are that your willpower is very low and you'll be tempted to reach just for anything. To make sure you don't fall off the great progress you've worked so hard for, let me introduce you to my Cheat Sheet!
Craving chocolate?
These are my favorite chocolate craving treats that won't break your "calorie bank."
{-} Nestle TollHouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 2 tablespoons
Make sure to measure these out to a correct serving (NOT the whole bag!). Just a little bit of REAL chocolate will satisfy your sweet tooth.
{-} Ghirardelli Intense Dark 60% Cacao Evening Dream Bar
One of my favorites! There are milk and dark chocolate bars, so pick your favorite and have one or two squares!
{-} Brookside Dark Chocolate-Covered Fruit
Brookside offers açai berries & blueberries, goji & raspberries, and pomegranates. They are amazing if you are craving something chocolate-covered!
{-} Quaker Chewy 25% Less Sugar Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
At 90-100 calories, this is a great alternative to cookie cravings! Only 5g-7g. sugar per bar.
{-} Homemade Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Buy strawberries and dip them in semi-sweet chocolate. Enjoy 2 or 3 when the need for chocolate strikes!
{-} Kashi TLC Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Made with whole grain oats and their Signature Seven Whole Grain blend, along with dark chocolate (who can resist?), this is an excellent go-to snack if you are craving oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Craving something crunchy and/or salty?
Let's be realistic - sometimes carrots just don't cut it. Here's some satisfying snacks you'll enjoy!
{-} Air-popped popcorn with Parmesan cheese (and light amount of butter)
Excellent whole-grain snack and much healthier than movie theater or microwavable popcorn!
{-} Triscuit Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil
Made with simple, whole-grain ingredients with a lot of flavor, these are one of my favorite snacks to pair up with a piece of string cheese!
{-} Pirates Booty - Aged White Cheddar
Craving something cheesy but don't want the high fat from chips? Pirates Booty is an excellent snack - baked and made with puffed rice and corn.
Fight Back When Cravings Strike:
One of the reasons why we tend to snack is because we're bored, didn't have enough food during the last meal, or maybe just like to graze. How do you know if you are really hungry?
Give yourself 10-20 minutes. Read your emails, go for a walk, read a magazine, call a friend - just do SOMETHING for 10-20 minutes and see if your cravings for a snack subside. If they don't and you feel your stomach rumbling, check out some of the snack ideas from the list above and portion it out to a 100-200 calorie snack.
Write it down. What did you eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner? If it wasn't enough, then see if it's been 2-3 hours since you last ate. Then go for a healthy snack - don't get too hungry where ANYTHING will work (possibility of digging in the office doughnuts or candy bars at the vending machine). Stay on track!
Plan ahead. Have healthy snacks around where you can reach them without reaching for something full of junk. Enjoy the real thing (now and then) if you absolutely love it, but these natural options in this post will give you a battle plan in choosing an option that will be beneficial to your body and provide excellent energy (which we all need!).
Keep active. If you are exercising and eating nutritious foods every day, chances are that your cravings will slowly subside. When you are pushing through a hard workout, it's going to be hard to reach for a cake at the bakery! Your body wants good energy from the foods you eat so it can function effectively and efficiently. You'll start to notice that when your body is craving something sweet, a cup of plain non-fat yogurt with berries and honey will make you feel great AND satisfy your cravings! Learn to listen to your body.
More later!
Take care everyone,
Jen
