How To Stop Snacking So Much

Snacking can have its benefits, as it helps you get enough nutrients between your meals, and helps you stay energized until your next meal.

However, too much of anything can be bad, including snacking mindlessly.

I know it can be a challenge to stop snacking so much, which is why I’m sharing practical tips that can help you curb your mindless snacking habits.

How To Stop Snacking So Much

Is Snacking Bad For Weight Loss

There’s no correct answer to this question, as it depends on your snacking habits: how much you’re snacking, what you’re snacking, how often, etc.

It can be good for weight loss in the sense that you’ll be full between your meals, so you won’t overeat.

However, it’s you’re only snacking on unhealthy snacks, you won’t be able to lose weight, so in that case, it might be better to only eat 3 big meals per day.

Let’s get into tips on how to stop snacking so much in between your meals.

Buy single-serving packages

A good way to control your snack portions is to buy single-serving packages of snacks. There are many single-serving trail mix packages that you can get.

That way, you’re ensuring you’re not snacking too much, and that you’re snacking on nuts and seeds, which give you the healthy fats your body needs.

Use smaller plates

When you’re putting snacks on the plate, try to use a smaller plate. It will help you eat less, as it will take less food to fill up the plate or the bowl. If you grab a huge plate and put a small amount of food on it, that tricks your mind into thinking it’s not enough - even though you might have put the perfect amount for a snack.

Find healthier snack options

If healthy eating is important for you (as it should be), and you’re on a healthy diet, you want to make sure your snacks are healthy as well.

So, don’t snack on chips, fries, junk food, processed food, or sweets. Instead, get healthy snacks: cut-up veggies, nuts, fruit, etc. There are many nutritious snacks out there, that will contribute to your healthy eating.

Replace candy with fruit

If you love snacking on sweet food, replace candy with fruit. Fruit is healthy for you and you should eat it every day anyway, so why not make your snacks count by eating nutritious snacks?

Snack slowly

The best way to stop eating too much is to eat slowly. That way, you’ll give your brain enough time to realize you've eaten enough. When you eat too fast, you’ll end up eating the whole bag in a minute, and you’ll think you need more.

By snacking slowly, you’re giving yourself enough time to decide whether or not you need more, and more often than not, you’ll realize you actually don’t need more.

Stay hydrated

Sometimes our brain confuses signals - it can’t tell whether you’re hungry or thirsty. So, to stop that from happening, make sure you’re always hydrated.

If you struggle with drinking enough water throughout the day, try getting a big water bottle and having it next to you throughout the whole day. That way, it will always be in your sight so you’ll constantly be reminded to drink it, plus, it will always be easy to see how much you actually drank.

Another way to drink more water is to set reminders on your phone to remind you to drink water, or download an app that does that for you.

Eat more protein throughout the day

By eating more protein throughout the day, you’ll be less hungry, and your body won’t crave snacks as much.

Protein is a crucial part of every healthy diet, and it’s what keeps you full and gives you energy. Eat more eggs, lean meat, beans and legumes, etc.

Plan your snacks in advance

A great way to stop snacking mindlessly is to actually plan your snacks in advance. When you’re creating a meal plan for the day, include your snack in the plan as well - how many times per day will you snack, what will you snack, and how much?

Planning it in advance will allow you actually to keep your calorie intake in check, and it will stop you from snacking on something unhealthy, or snacking too much.

Change up your routine

If you’re not able to stop snacking too much even after implementing certain tips, you might need to change up your routine. Maybe you’re having huge breaks between your big meals and it’s not possible for you not to be hungry in between.

See how you can change up your routine to organize your meals better.

Distract yourself

We often end up snacking because we’re bored, and not because we’re actually hungry. So, try distracting yourself and keeping yourself busy - you might not even feel the need to snack as much as you do when you are bored.

It’s a known fact that we eat more often when we’re bored, without even realizing that’s why we have cravings.

So, apart from keeping yourself busy, whenever you start craving a snack, stop for a second and think: am I really hungry, or am I just bored and this task that I’m doing isn’t fun?

Benefits Of Not Snacking Between Meals

Eating fewer calories

One of the main benefits of not snacking is eating fewer calories throughout the day, which is especially important if you’re on a weight loss journey.

While you don’t need to count calories often, it’s important to remember that while snacks are often smaller foods and smaller amounts of food, they still have calories - oftentimes, they have as many calories as a regular meal, if you’re not snacking on something healthy.

Having more free time

A benefit not many people think about is having more free time - after all, snacking takes time, right?

Preventing overeating

If you used to snack on junk food and then eat normal big meals afterward, chances are, you were overeating. So, not snacking can prevent that.

Making more room for main meals

Not snacking will make more room in your stomach for the main meals - which are usually more nutritious and more important for your health than snacks.

Did this ever happen to you? You started craving a snack, and even though you knew lunch or dinner is coming in an hour, you ended up eating a whole bag of chips. So, when the big meal came, you weren’t that hungry, and you didn’t eat enough of it?

If yes, it might be a good idea to cut down on snacks. It would be much better for you to eat a whole nutritious meal, instead of eating a little bit of a nutritious meal and eating a bag of chips.

Easier meal plans

It will be easier and quicker to make a meal plan for yourself if you don’t have to think about the types of snacks you’ll be eating, how much, how often, etc.