The Ultimate Guide to Snacking and Intuitive Eating

We have been made to believe that snacking is something that is completely unnecessary. Dieting cements this belief which means we lose chances to get variety into what we are eating and therefore nutrition. We are told that hungry is best and to snack is to fail at being hungry. This is why, as a nutritionist and Intuitive Eating specialist, I want you to snack intuitively. I want you to learn that it is ok to snack and complete normal. I need you to snack intuitively! We embrace hunger in intuitive eating rather than ignoring it, and this means that usually we tend to need snacks but also we can see snacking as an opportunity to get more nutrition into our body.

But what is Intuitive Eating?

Intuitive eating is a way of eating that helps us with our relationship with food. It is evidenced based and weight neutral. Generally, we unlearn diet culture and it’s messages through the 10 principles of intuitive eating.

• Reject Diet Culture
• Honor Your Hunger
• Make Peace with Food
• Discover the Satisfaction Factor
• Feel Your Fullness
• Challenge the Food Police
• Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
• Respect Your Body
• Movement—Feel the Difference
• Honor Your Health—Gentle Nutrition

Hunger is your foundation to Snacking

When we are exploring intuitive eating, we need to spend time recognising our hunger. We know hunger to be that ravenous and hangry feeling when anything will do. Part of intuitive eating is to try and learn the far more subtle messages our bodies are trying to give us. But because other people have told us that they are the experts of our body, we ignore our body’s messages so much that they just quieten down.

Use tools like the hunger scales and working out what hunger looks like to you are key elements of hunger exploration. Things start out more structured and then move on to be much more intuitive as you go along.

What are the benefits of snacking?

Snacking intuitively supports our body. It supports us mentally and physically with many benefits.

Maintains Energy Levels: Snacking helps to sustain energy levels throughout the day, especially between meals. It prevents dips in blood sugar that can lead to fatigue and difficulty concentrating.

Manages Hunger: Regular, balanced snacks can prevent excessive hunger that may lead to overeating during main meals or binge eating later in the day.

Provides Essential Nutrients: Snacking can contribute to the intake of essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats, which are important for overall health and well-being.

Improves Focus and Concentration: A nutritious snack can enhance cognitive function and mental alertness, making it easier to stay focused and productive throughout the day.

Boosts Mood: Eating regularly can stabilize blood sugar levels, which in turn can positively impact mood and reduce irritability or mood swings often associated with hunger.

Satisfies Cravings: Choosing satisfying and nutritious snacks can help satisfy cravings and prevent indulging in less healthy options out of deprivation or impulse.

How do I snack Intuitively?

Here are some steps that might help you snack intuitively. I know how tricky it can be to get started.

Step 1 – Make sure you have a selection of convenient snack foods available to you. Knowing that convenience is actually hard to lean into without challenging food rules and working on internalised anti-fatness, the thing that causes our fear of weight gain.

Step 2 – Check in on your hunger. How are you feeling and where are you on the hunger scale? Remembering that going too long without food will mean that you will be over hungry and will impact your hunger.

Step 3 – Ask yourself “What do I want and what do I need?”. Honouring your physical hunger and other type of hungers are really important. It is also important to workout what will be satisfying for you in the moment.

Step 4 – Consider gentle nutrition. What can you add to add nutrition.

Step 5 – Try where you can to eat the snack mindfully. And this can purely mean finding a moment to be grateful for the food you have, noticing the flavour, texture and smell of the food.

 

But HOW do I build a snack?

We tend to think up snacks as things that are diet coded. We do not need to think small and I like to think of snacks as a mini meal.

Firstly, you need to combine foods that are for 2 or 3 of the following – carbohydrate, fats and protein but pick foods from 2 or 3 of those for example a snack that has a carb and a protein.

Then we build further by considering adding something else for gentle nutrition. A great addition is fruit or vegetables but also, it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to add fruit or vegetables for a snack to be nourishing.

 

. Here are some food ideas to get you going: –

Carboydrates	Protein	Fat
Breadsticks Naan bread Flat breads Pitta breads Rice cakes Crackers Biscuits Cookies Crisps Tortillas Breakfast bars/biscuits Cereal Fruits/veg	Ham Chicken Tofu Halloumi Cheese Chorizo Yoghurt Nuts and pulses Houmous Soya/edamame Meatballs Koftes	Dips Tofu Halloumi Cheese Chorizo Yoghurt (full fat) Chocolate Nuts and pulses Houmous Milk Butter Olive oil Guacamole

Have you noticed that I actually do not use the word “healthy”. This is intensional. Because assigning morality to food and calling food “healthy”, “good, “bad” means we end up intensifying the guilt and shame we have around eating.

Round up of Snacking Intuitively

Hopefully this has inspired you to snack and to snack intuitively. If you want to learn more about intuitive eating, here are some blog posts you might enjoy reading: –

The Top 5 Intuitive Eating, Anti-Diet and Weight Inclusive Resources in the UK

The Dangers of Dieting : An Evidence-Based Examination

What is Intuitive Eating UK?

How do you start Intuitive Eating?

38 Intuitive Eating Affirmations for Plus sized People

If you would like to work with me, I have my membership you can join and also my group coaching programme that I would love to welcome you onto.