Episode 272. The Power of Snacking

I used to believe the old dieting advice: you shouldn’t eat between meals.

But recently I was coaching two different people and suggested they plan in an afternoon snack.

For both of them, it made a huge difference to how much they were eating across the whole day — with a knock-on effect on weight.

It also reminded me of my own shift from thinking I shouldn’t snack, to actually giving myself permission to plan one in.

Intentional snacking was a game-changer for stopping my own overeating in the evenings.

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Video Version

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There are three big reasons a planned snack can actually help you eat less overall:

It stops picking while you cook. I used to get ravenous between lunch and dinner, graze constantly while cooking, and then sit down to a meal I didn’t need. A planned afternoon snack broke that cycle entirely.
It prevents the over-hunger spiral. When you’re ravenous, your brain goes into “give me food” mode and it’s almost impossible to slow down and listen to your body. A snack keeps you out of that zone, so you can actually tune in at mealtimes.
It stops impulsive, tired choices. Three o’clock hits, you’re exhausted, and if there’s nothing planned? Hello, vending machine. Having a snack ready means you make an intentional choice instead of one you later regret.

Of course, the trick is not to overdo it. Here are four simple habits that help:

Serve it out, then put it away. If you’re having nuts and you stand there with the whole bag, it’s really hard to stop. Serve what you’re going to have, put the rest away, and you’ve got a natural pause point when you reach the end of your bowl.
Sit down and actually focus on it. Turn off your screens and give yourself a few minutes to be present with your snack. Our brains register food much more when we’re focused on it. I ate my snack on the run one day last week and felt like I’d had nothing. The difference is real.
Pause before going back for more. If you finish and feel like you want more, just wait a couple of minutes before deciding. 99 times out of 100, you move on to something else and forget about it altogether.
Choose snacks with protein and/or fibre. These keep you more satisfied than something purely sugary, which tends to leave you wanting more. (There’s still a place for treats — but for everyday snacking, protein and fibre are your friends.)

Psyllium husks with macadamia milk. Psyllium husks are super high in fibre — very satisfying. I mix them with macadamia milk and sometimes add spices, collagen powder, or a little fruit to mix it up.
Yogurt and seeds. Flax seeds (or linseeds, as we call them here in Australia) stirred through Greek-style yogurt. Sometimes I’ll add peanut butter, tahini, or a little fruit — but mostly I keep it really simple.
Quick protein – I always keep boiled eggs in the fridge and beef jerkey in the pantry if I need something quick.

Start with a quick review of your own snacking:

Are you happy with how your snacking is going? Do you give yourself permission to snack, and is it working for you? If yes — you’re done for the week!
If you’ve been telling yourself you shouldn’t snack, or your options aren’t that great, I invite you to experiment this week. Plan in an intentional snack — ideally something with protein and/or fibre — and just notice how it goes.

Do an experiment. See how it plays out for you.

Let me know your thoughts…

Do you give yourself permission to snack between meals? If yes what are your favourite snack options?

Have a delicious week!

In your corner
Jules xx
(Your favourite Australian Food Scientist)