12 keys to avoid snacking between meals

Snacking is a behavior characterized by eating out of hours in small quantities. Anxiety, boredom, hunger, meetings with friends and poor food management, among other causes, can lead us to peck.

Tips not to peck between meals

Snacking becomes a problem if we want to lose weight, because, generally, when we snack we opt for foods rich in fat, sugar or salt. In this article we present you some psychological keys to avoid pecking.

1. Plan your meals and eat 5 times a day

Planning meals is one of the best alternatives to avoid snacking between meals. In fact, if we follow a diet and are well nourished, it is easier to avoid snacking. One of the best known strategies to avoid this is to eat 5 times a day.

If we eat three large meals throughout the day, it is possible that between meals we get hungry and, therefore, we peck. By dividing the daily calories into five meals, we will avoid the extreme need to eat what we have on hand, because we will feel fuller during the day.

2. Take into account the time between meals

Scientific studies have shown that when we are trying to maintain our weight or lose weight, it is necessary to stabilize blood sugar to avoid carving. This can be achieved by eating every 3 or 4 hours, which is in line with the previous point, that is, eating 5 meals a day. This will help us to be satiated for longer, which will prevent us from wanting to eat between meals.

3. Have a good breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and can determine the number of calories we consume throughout the day. According to scientific studies, people who eat a good breakfast consume fewer calories throughout the day than those who choose not to eat breakfast. A complete breakfast, which contains carbohydrates, proteins, fiber and healthy fats can make a difference and prevent us from wanting to eat between meals. Of course, taking into account the five meals of the day, lunch should not be avoided either, because otherwise we can end up snacking in the middle of the morning.

4. Eat complex carbohydrates

One of the reasons blood sugar rises is because we eat simple carbohydrates (and refined), which can be found, for example, in white bread or industrial pastries. These types of carbohydrates produce hyperglycemia.

Glucose is essential for our body; However, in high doses, our pancreas, when detecting the excess of this substance in the blood (which is known as hyperglycemia) releases insulin, the hormone responsible for carrying glucose from the blood to the muscle and liver. After this glucose rush, the levels drop again causing us to want to eat more, especially sweets and foods rich in fat. That is why it is necessary to eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, because they are progressively digested and do not produce glucose peaks.

5. Use fiber to your advantage

Fiber is a key substance for our digestive tract to function and better for a healthy fecal elimination. Fiber also keeps us more satiated, which prevents us from being hungry between meals. Complex carbohydrates are high in fiber, so eating foods rich in fiber will also help prevent hyperglycemia from occurring.

• Related article: "The 16 most satisfying and ideal foods to lose weight”

6. Eat protein

Experts recommend the consumption of proteins in diets to lose weight because they accelerate the metabolism, but, in addition, they also help us to stay more satiated. Eating protein will help you not feel the need to eat between meals. You can learn about the different types of proteins in our article: "The 20 types of proteins and their functions in the body”.

7. Treat snacking like a meal

Many times we despise lunch and snacks, but one of the keys to the 5 daily meals is to treat each of the meals as if they were similar meals (that is, simply dividing the daily calories by 5). If we eat snacks between meals that do not leave us satiated, what will happen is that we peck. On the other hand, if during lunch and snack we eat more and in a nutritious way, we will feel more satisfied throughout the day.

8. Take care of your environment

Taking care of the environment is essential to avoid pecking, because it favors self-control. This includes not having, for example, the cookies in sight if you are in the office. If you are going to buy and you are a fan of chocolate, do not fill the fridge with this food because you will be eating it at the first change.

9. Eat fruit and drink water

If for whatever reason you have to peck, better to do it with fruit than with products that are high in fat or refined carbohydrates. Fruits contain few calories, are rich in water and also contain vitamins and minerals that are key to our health.

10. Drink water

In diets to lose weight and to avoid overeating between meals, experts advise being well hydrated, because it helps us to feel satiated. If you feel hungry, you can try drinking an infusion because it will make you feel satisfied.

11. Reduce sugar intake

Cutting back on sugar will help you avoid eating between meals. Eating excessively sweet foods, for example, honey, chocolate or industrial pastries causes that the person feels satiated at the moment, but in a short time they will have to eat more and, therefore, will peck. This is due to what was discussed in previous points, hyperglycemia.

12. Avoid boredom

Boredom and anxiety can lead you to want to eat foods rich in sugar and fat, so it is good to keep busy. When you notice that boredom is making an appearance, you can, for example, go to the gym or do other activities that take you to the gym. flow status. In our article “55 things you can do when you're bored”We give you some tips to get out of boredom.