Have you ever thought, “Gosh, this snack is so little calories does it even matter if I eat it?” or “I’m not really hungry for a snack. I’d rather just skip it.” These are common questions we find our clients asking themselves as they begin to navigate their meal plans. We’re here to tell you, the snacks matter, and here’s why!
Dispersing Calories
Each body has its own calories needed just for basic processes. We need calories to keep our eyes open, breathe air into our lungs, process a thought, etc. All these seemingly minor things that our body does for us is what brings us life. In order to continue this life, we need to keep fueling our body! That sometimes can take a lot of calories to keep us going, and so snacks are there to make reaching that goal easier. Whether your focus is on calories or macros, it’s much easier to hit any number goal by approaching the day piece by piece. Eating only one or two meals a day means having to not eat MUCH larger portions at a given time, which can induce that post-meal sleepiness that makes getting back to work extremely hard. Snacks help us meet our nutritional needs so we don’t have to eat everything all at once!
Preventing Slumps
That post-meal sleepiness is definitely something we do not want to experience in the middle of the work day, or any other part of the day for that matter! Not having such bulky, less frequent meals is one way to prevent that post-meal slump. Also, snacks themselves may help give that pep in your step that’s needed to finish off your work day. Having balanced snacks throughout the day helps to keep blood sugar stable, so our metabolism doesn’t start to slow down midday. When we aren’t eating frequently enough, naturally our blood sugar begins to drop. When our blood sugar takes a dive, so does our energy. To prevent having a major drop in energy during your day, aim to keep your meals frequent and balance, like having an apple with peanut butter as a midday snack!
Checking Cravings
Craving sweets or carbs are some of the most popular ones people have. Experiencing this feeling often, usually means we’re missing calories or carbs themselves to sustain those normal day-to-day processes we were just talking about! Having snacks, even when we’re not necessarily hungry, are great to prevent us from feeling starved. Fitting in snacks between big meals is a great way to prevent yourself from getting to a ravenously hungry point by the time you hit your next big meal. We often allow ourselves to get that hungry, which reduces our ability to make wise choices. Have you ever been hangry? We all get a bit emotional and illogical when we haven’t eaten, so prevent that from happening by making time for your snacks!
Snacks, while small, have a purpose. They can be that small lifesaver, or can be that thing you’re craving. Snacks have their own minor duty in the day to help reach those macros and keep us on track. Don’t forget to bring your snacks with you, as you navigate your meal plan this week!
