Snacktime can be a delicious break in your day—it’s not quite time for a real meal, but you can grab something quick and tasty to keep your energy levels up. Snacktime can also be really annoying if you don’t have any snack food on hand and are stumped as to what to throw together.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone from fridge to pantry to fridge to pantry, because I’m searching for anything that sounds good for a snack. I usually prefer making my own snacks in a routine food prep session, but I tend to be too lazy to make homemade items weekly (Trail Mix Granola Bars, why can’t you make yourselves?!). The lack of homemade snacks + the fact I mostly keep pretty basic and healthy store-bought snacks on hand, I’m often at a loss for what to eat.
I know I’m not the only one who struggles with finding nutritious snacks, so I wanted to share a little tip I discovered not too long ago. It’s a little healthy eating hack that is shockingly useful when you’re feeling uninspired while staring into an empty fridge.
Change the way you look at snacktime—view snacks as small meals.
Why? Because if you think about meals, the possibilities are endless. Snacks, on the other hand, we tend to view as conveniently portioned pieces or bundles of food that have been specifically designed for in between meals. That often means things like granola bars, string cheese, chips, yogurt, nuts, candy, or popcorn. I listed a whole bunch of protein-packed snacks once upon a time. But you know what the problem with that is? You often have to think ahead to purchase or make these “snack” items, and at least for me, they can get boring after awhile.
By simply changing the way you define snacks, so many options open up. I’ve started incorporating eggs and lunchmeat into snacktime more often. Or even small versions of meals I might have, like toast, a side salad, a small bowl of pasta, leftovers, or a [massive] half sandwich.
(And if you’re like me and sometimes let your “small meals” turn into way more food than you needed, just postpone your next meal. It’s #2 on the intuitive eating list: honor your hunger.)
In addition to feeling way more inspired, viewing snacks as small meals might also open up more nutritious options. Snacks can often be full of empty calories. While that 100-calorie pack of chocolate wafers sounds delicious, you’ll probably just end up hungry again really soon. I’ve noticed as I’ve started making “small meals” for myself, I’m eating more veggies than normal. Win-win!
OR, if you have the opposite problem and love snack foods (often preferring them over preparing legit meals, small or large), DIY Snack Boxes are a fun combination of snack items that can pretty much be a real meal. They’re definitely more substantial than your average little snack—it’s whatever you make of them.
I hope this healthy eating tip helps open up more possibilities for you during snacktime! It’s made a big difference for me, limiting the number of times I open and close the fridge and cabinet doors in our kitchen. 🙂
