Everyone has already fallen for a piece of chocolate or a packet of chips between two meals.
And so far, so good.
But when this snacking becomes automatic and too regular, it can harm our nutritional balance.
To avoid this, Claire Trommenschlager, dietician and author of the book
Happy Diet,
gives three avenues to explore to question your eating behaviors and modify them.
She summarizes them in a video uploaded to her Instagram account
Claire.happydiet
on February 14.
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Eat well
“Are you eating enough?”
Here is the first question to ask yourself according to the specialist.
Depriving yourself too much at different meals of the day and then compensating with snacking is useless and counterproductive if you want to adopt a healthy diet, she warns.
The contents of a nourishing and satiating plate consist of “vegetables, proteins, starchy foods,” she recalls.
And this at every meal.
The professional also reminds that there is no point in eliminating starchy foods in the evening.
Be aware of small snacks
Second track: “Do you take the time to eat without feeling guilty?”
Here, the dietician invites us to fully embrace our desires, instead of snacking while standing in front of the fridge.
“Prepare yourself a tray with a hot drink, a nutritious element such as cottage cheese, skyr and/or fruit, then add your pleasure food (cake, chocolate, etc.).
And there, you sit down, and you enjoy!”, advises the specialist.
Enjoying each bite, not limiting yourself in advance and having fun, are the essential elements to avoid any frustration.
“You eat consciously, and when the pleasure diminishes, you stop,” she says.
If we do this every evening, our snacking urges should decrease.
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Identify what we are missing
Finally, the dietician informs that snacking is often driven by the need to fill a gap.
Fatigue, boredom, stress, lack of attention… It is therefore important to identify what we are trying to fill and to try to fulfill it.
Claire Trommenschlager advises, for example, to rest if you are tired, or to prioritize a relaxing activity, such as sport, if you are stressed.
“Whatever your feelings, food isn't really the answer,” she concludes.