Challenged by Snacking

Nighttime and/or excessive snacking comes up a lot in my counseling sessions.  It usually goes something like this:

“Well, I do pretty well all day.  It’s when I get home when it all goes downhill.” OR

“See, I eat well [after a food intake recall], but after the kids go to bed I have to snack and I don’t mean just a serving.” OR

“I’m just so hungry when I get home from work.  I nibble on everything the rest of the day.” OR

“There’s just something about sitting down at the end of the day with a book and a bag of chips.”

In the case of nighttime snacking, typically the first two-thirds of eating for the day are reported as well controlled, but as soon as it’s quittin’ time after work or after dinner, all self-control and will power fall by the wayside.

Why is that?  I guess in the morning we are fresh and ready to handle a new day, ready to stick to our plan.  At work we’re busy enough that eating just what we’ve planned still satisfies (although often starts to get harder in the afternoon).  By the time the work day ends, have you used up all your "stick-to-itiveness" and feel drained and ready to treat yourself?  Or maybe you don’t feel tempted to hop off track until everything is done for the day and you’re decompressing.  It’s quiet, all you have left to do is get ready for bed and sleep.  It’s “you” time and what’s better during “you” time than your favorite snack…you deserve it, right?

I’ve had my share of this challenge.   I’m here to tell you that most of these nighttime snacking behaviors are good ol’ HABITS.  Often they are not a response to actual hunger, but a response to an emotional or mental need.  During my evening I find that if there is a treat available, I’m going to take part, whether I am hungry or not (always not).  Now, I’ve typically planned this into my day, which you could do too (a well-balanced intake with a few discretionary calories).  The problem arises when even after I’ve enjoyed my portioned treat, the fridge, freezer, or pantry still calls my name and for no other reason than because I’m just relaxing and well, snacking just “fits.”

I have had evenings where I cave to my craving and eat again – really?!  I even think while I’m eating it that I’m not hungry and I don’t really need it, but not even those thoughts are enough to stop me.  I had to enlist an actual replacement behavior.  The winner…brushing my teeth!  Making the decision to be done and cleaning my pearly whites marks a distinct line mentally for me that I am finished snacking.  Completing this simple task alone reduces the desire to continue snacking, one step toward breaking a habit.

If you are someone who struggles with food choices and snacking as soon as you get home from work, think about two things.  First, be sure you are not depriving yourself throughout the workday – eat a good breakfast and plan a balanced lunch and snack.  Second, don’t fight snacking.  When you’re fighting it, but not avoiding it, your snack becomes grazing, and more food and calories than you’d like.  Instead, plan in a snack when you get home from work to tide you over until dinner.  Planning it in gives you permission to eat.  It’s no longer a forbidden act and when planned you can make it good for you (for instance some fruit and yogurt or a slice of whole grain peanut butter toast).

In the late evening, recognize when you are succumbing to a habit and find a replacement activity.  Try brushing your teeth.  It’s funny how brushing your teeth can turn into an invisible barrier to extra snacking.  If all else fails, arm yourself with control.  Have one serving of your snack versus allowing a free for all with the entire bag.  Any baby step you take is a good step.  It means you’ve recognized that you need to make a change and you want to make a change.  Give yourself some credit…you can do it!

The Vanishing Cutie

I had a funny moment last week at work.  It was the late afternoon and I was holding down the office on my own, working away, when the clock struck “snack time!”  I had a Cutie clementine with me today…fresh, juicy, and sweet!  I turned away from my work to peel and eat my fruit, but then I heard that ding of an incoming email and decided I needed to see the new message in my inbox right then.  Shortly after, I turned to grab the second half of my clementine…"where is it?!"  The second half was gone!  Surely it had rolled off my desk because I know I didn’t already eat it!  I literally looked on the floor.  But, it was too late.  I had broken my own rule!  I had mindlessly scarfed down the second half of my Cutie, literally not even realizing it while reading an email, thus not tasting or enjoying the lovely refreshing snack I had planned.  So disappointed.

It takes practice to allow the 5 minutes it may take to eat a small snack, but it is definitely worth it. 

A mindfully enjoyed afternoon snack time can serve to:

1.  Provide you fuel to get you to dinner without becoming ravenous

2.  Provide you the energy your brain needs to work at its best for the remainder of the work day

3.  Provide you with a mini brain break, refreshing your work upon your return

4.  Provide you with a mini brain break for stress relief

5.  Provide a daily recommended fruit, veggie, or dairy serving

Don’t be like me that day and be utterly confused and astonished that you really did already eat your entire snack.  Instead, take actions to enjoy your snack mindfully.

1.  Close your computer and/or clear the immediate area of work

2.  Take a breath, releasing any tension as you exhale

3.  Clear you mind of work for the moment – it will still be there in 5 minutes

4.  Pay attention to the texture, color, and aroma of your snack

5.  Take one bite at a time, chewing and swallowing each before taking the next

6.  When finished, take one more deep breath, reflect on how enjoyable it was

7.  Return to work fed and refreshed

All you have to do is try this once to notice that enjoying an afternoon snack does become an entirely different experience when you are mindful.

Life is too short to let every little moment slip by without noticing it, without appreciating it, without being thankful for it.  Every moment can hold a joy, hold a gift, and hold something to be thankful for, even the seemingly mundane things.  Sometimes we just don’t take the time to notice them.  I challenge you to be more mindful of the little moments in your day – afternoon snack and all – and be thankful.

Quinoa Recipe!

Quinoa is a great ‘grain’ to give a try if you’re not in love with brown rice or just want to switch things up.  Quinoa is actually a seed, but is included in the grain group because we cook it and eat it like a grain.  This seed is a powerhouse of nutrition and gives you a good dose of quality protein, dietary fiber, and higher amounts of iron, zinc, and magnesium than found in many other grains.  Quinoa also offers healthy fat content, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals.

You can use quinoa in soups, salads, pilafs, and more, enjoy it hot or cold, and make it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  It is versatile and tasty, with a slightly nutty taste.

We are trying our hand at pre-making new tasty lunches for the week (to mix it up from our normal chicken or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).  A great side benefit to pre-planning a slightly more complex lunch is that I get extra delicious veggies at lunchtime and really a greater variety of food and nutrients overall.

So our first week was an absolute success with the Spicy Quinoa Chicken.   This recipe is adapted slightly from Kevin Curry’s (of FitMenCook.com) “Spicy Chicken Fried Quinoa with Garden Salad” recipe we found in Train magazine.

The nutrition of our version (with cooked and diced chicken breast instead of ground chicken, water instead of chicken broth to make the quinoa, and Frank’s Red Hot instead of Sriracha) turned out about as follows:

1 ½ cup serving (this was a hungry man’s serving = my husband)

Calories 440; Protein 49g; Fat 11g (Sat fat 2g); Fiber 4g; Sodium 563mg

1 cup serving (suggested)

Calories 294; Protein 33g; Fat 8g (Sat fat 2g); Fiber 3g; Sodium 375mg

We did combine this with a spinach salad topped with chopped cucumber, tomato, and kiwi (not included in nutrition).

Ingredients: 

1.5 lbs chicken breast, cooked and diced

3 eggs

2 cups water

1 cup raw quinoa (rinse before cooking)

1 cup frozen edamame beans

1 cup chopped carrots

½ cup chopped red oinion

1 Tbsp minced garlic (or garlic paste)

vegetable oil spray

Sauce:

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1.5 Tbsp Franks red hot sauce

1 Tbsp ginger paste

1 Tbsp low sodium teriyaki sauce (optional)

Instructions:

1.     Cook quinoa according to instructions and allow to cool to room temperature

2.     While quinoa is cooking/cooling, dice and cook (or cook then dice chicken breast) – in medium-high heat skillet or baked in oven at 375 degrees until internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees.

3.     Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

4.     Spray a non-stick skillet on medium heat with cooking spray, add garlic, carrots, and onions, cooking until onions become clear.

5.     Increase the temperature of the skillet to medium-high and add chicken and cooled quinoa.

6.     Pour in the sauce and stir quickly

7.     Add eggs stirring and chopping with a spoon until well incorporated

8.     Reduce heat to medium and add edamame beans, stirring until thawed.

Pack into containers for the week or enjoy as dinner tonight!  This dish is just spicy enough and packs a great flavor.  Not to mention it is quite satisfying.

So much color and nutrition!  Try something new this week, even if it is just adding a different veggie to lunch or a new grain at dinner.  It’s hard to bust out of your routine sometimes, but once you do, what you discover and make can be marvelous.  You may find yourself wanting to explore some more.

Enjoy!

You Want It, So You...

You want to make the team, so you work hard, practice hard, and put precious time into making yourself the best you can…welcome to the team.  You want to get into a good school, so you work hard, study hard, and put precious time into preparing for tests and applications…welcome to a good school.  You want to learn a new skill to further your career and impact more lives, so you work hard, study hard, practice hard, and put precious time into learning a new skill…congratulations, welcome to the next step in your career!  You want to become a more fit you, so you work out hard, push hard, and put precious time into exercising…welcome to a more fit you.

You want to support your fitness with healthy foods, you want to lose weight or manage a healthy weight, you want to control your fat and sugar intake and get all the nutrients you need every day, so you…[                                                                           ].  How do you fill in the blank?

I am so often faced with the task of providing a miracle food plan that fits taste preferences, fulfills daily nutrient needs and supports weight goals, but that takes ZERO time and ZERO effort.  I am sorry to say, but that miracle does not exist.  Not many things in life take zero time and zero effort to accomplish, and good nutrition and a healthy weight are no different. 

Sometimes in conversations about meal and snack ideas when I have already taken taste preference and convenience into account, my ideas still get shot down because, well, “that takes too much time.”  A peanut butter and jelly sandwich takes maybe 1 minute to put together.  Time yourself.  Unless you only eat pre-packaged, pre-prepared meals (which you still have to wait like 2-5 minutes to microwave) you are going to have to put two or three pieces together to create a meal.

Changing your mindset is the first step to changing your intake.  You can plan and eat simple healthy meals and you can squeeze in the time to put a few things in a lunchbox, it’s just not part of your current routine.  Planning your food intake does take some time, but with practice it becomes easier and is eventually simply a part of your normal routine.

Start with one meal – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Don’t overwhelm yourself by overhauling your entire intake and pre-planning 21 meals worth of food on day one.  For instance if you currently skip, eat a fast food biscuit, or scarf down a Pop-tart or other pastry in the car for breakfast, choose breakfast.

Step 1. Decide you are willing to make a change to this one meal.

·        “I would really like to avoid my mid-morning hunger and get more nutrition out of my meal.  I am willing to change my routine to make this happen.”

Step 2. Determine what foods you enjoy at breakfast.

·        “I’m not a fan of eggs or oatmeal.  I do like cinnamon toast.  I do like yogurt (only flavored).  I do like blueberries.”

Step 3. Make sure these foods are already in your pantry or on your shopping list.

·        “Whole grain bread and cinnamon, check!  Adding yogurt and fresh/frozen blueberries to my list.”

Step 4. Pre-prep if needed (wash or cut fruit, etc.) and plan in at least 15 minutes to eat at home.

·        “No pre-prep necessary for my new breakfast.  I’ll wake up 10 minutes early and shave 5 minutes off my shower/getting ready time.”

Step 5. Eat your new delicious and healthy breakfast day 1.

·        Toast bread while scooping 1 cup of lower sugar flavored yogurt into a bowl and pouring ½ cup of blueberries on top.  Smear trans-fat free spread onto toast, sprinkle with cinnamon and breakfast is complete (literally like 3 minutes).

·        Enjoy!

Repeat steps 4 and 5 the rest of the week.

Willingness to make a change in your current routine to make room for better nutrition is step one.  Having the right food on hand is step 2.  After that it’s just execution.

Healthy does not have to be complicated, but you do need to offer yourself the chance to prove that healthy can fit into your day.  Are you willing to give your nutrition a little of your hard work, your planning, and some precious time? 

It’s worth it and it only gets easier the more you do it.

Final 9!

It’s the final week of National Nutrition Month®!  Below are my final nine daily mini-goals for better health.

March 23:  Eat only until satisfied, not stuffed, even if there is food left on your plate (remember eating more slowly helps).

March 24:  Choose olive oil instead of butter.

March 25:  Do 10 push-ups this morning, afternoon, and evening – it feels great!

March 26:  Eat some spinach! It’s national spinach day!  Be “…strong to the finish ‘cause you eat your spinach!”

March 27:  Pray a prayer of thanksgiving before every meal (whether home or dining out).

March 28:  Stick to moderation if you enjoy an adult beverage – one drink/day for women or two drinks/day for men (to shave off some of those liquid calories ;) ).

March 29:  Plan next week’s meals and snacks before you go shopping (helps keep your food choices in check all week and helps your budget too).

March 30:  Eat breakfast, lunch and/or dinner as a whole family – no TV, no books, no papers, no phones, just food and family.

March 31:  Rock confidence!  Wherever you are right now in your journey to better health and weight management…BE you, BE joyful, BE confident.

I would love to hear what you did to improve your nutrition this month!  Did you try any of my daily mini-goals?  Leave me a brief comment if you feel like it!

One of my favorites was from this past week.  I focused on being sure I made eye contact with and smiled at anyone who crossed my path.  People can’t frown back! J  I enjoyed sharing the smile.  Whether it meant nothing to the other person or maybe it lifted their spirits, it had an interesting impact on me.  I think it is quite easy to put your head down, do your job, and move along, not ever really cherishing the simple moments you may have to interact with someone.  Remember that everyone has their own story and we often don’t know where in their story they are…could be on a mountain top or in a deep valley.  How we interact with them can make an impact…a positive one!  I have been encouraged to be more willing to offer a greeting, a smile, and even extra moments to just listen to another child of God.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Solid Ground

I was reminded this week that one size does not fit all when it comes to behavior change and improving food choices.  We are all so unique…it just makes sense that one process and one collection of foods would not equal weight loss or gain for everyone. I love it!  People are wonderfully intricate and beautiful puzzles. 

As a Registered Dietitian it is part of my job to get to know the folks I work with, get to know things they have tried, things they like, things they dislike, their attitudes toward foods and diets, and so much more!  Doing this helps me to provide the most effective motivation and education for that person. 

Y’all, it is okay if what worked for [insert name] didn’t work for you.  It is okay if you do not like some foods that are great for you (all I ask is that you have given them a chance).  Do not get me wrong, there is a great nutrition foundation that is applicable for most people, but when it comes to how that foundation is built upon, well, you can have fun and tailor it to you.  Be open to new strategies and new foods that might make more sense for you versus feeling pressured to mimic someone else’s food or dieting style to succeed.

I support teaching/learning nutrition basics because then you have the tools to build a custom food intake atop a great nutrition foundation.  Food ideas and menus are helpful supplemental tools, but don’t you want to have the power to build your own nutritious menus? 

Per usual, my way is not the fast, easy, and convenient way, but it is the lasting way.

I hope you’re inspired to quit comparing yourself to weight loss/diet successes or failures of others, inspired to be open to more than what you already know, and inspired to really learn the nutrition basics to arm yourself with the power to create your own unique nutritious masterpiece.

7 more daily goals to celebrate National Nutrition Month® and work on nutrition basics:

March 16: Choose “whole” grains today for more fiber and nutritious filling power.
March 17: Be intentionally active.  Take the stairs, park further away, take stretch breaks at work.
March 18: Check your labels for Trans fats (“hydrogenated oil”)…don’t eat it.
March 19: Basic = God loves you! Believe it! Celebrate it!
March 20: Eat the rainbow…no not skittles.  Did you get green, red, orange/yellow, blue/purple, and white fruits and veggies this week?
March 21: Give a smile to others when you cross paths (whether you know them or not) J.
March 22: Hydrate…have water with you all day and avoid those sugary drinks.

Something Has to Give

Did you reflect on your state of nutrition last week?  Did you take a small step to improve it?  I hope so.  Small steps can turn into big successes!

I ran into an interesting thought this week regarding our small steps, our improvements/changes of behaviors or actions.   The idea is if you choose to add something new or change something old, either way, you have to give something up (either the old behavior being changed or something less important than the new behavior being added).  It’s so hard to “give stuff up,” but when you’re faced with the reality of needing to do so, it helps you prioritize what’s most important and what you want to keep.

For example, I want to spend more time in my day reflecting on a devotion and in prayer.  Surprise, it did not just happen on its own (funny how I almost expected it too).  I realized quickly that something had to move out for more devotion time to move in.  I had to prioritize and be intentional instead of thinking I would just tack it on to my morning or night-time routines.  It’s amazing how few minutes there are in the day when you fill it with work, meals, family time, exercise and entertainment (TV, social media).  One of these things is not like the other (in songJ).  It occurred to me quickly that I easily run into needing to get ready and out the door in the morning or feeling my eyes get so heavy in the evening that I must call it a night (before my additional devotion is complete). Realization = I have to ‘give-up’ some entertainment time to make my devotion (my new behavior) feasible.

In the food world it may be that you need to cut a few calories to promote weight loss, but you are dead set in your routine and food choices.  Surprise!  Something has to give.  You may have to break out of your food comfort zone…maybe have a kick-booty salad instead of a sandwich 3 days/week or start bringing your lunch to work instead of getting the ’too high in calories’ dish from that restaurant where they know your name.

In the exercise world it may be that you want to start incorporating more activity at least 3 days/week, but you can’t seem to leave work at a reasonable hour or you like surfing the web with the extra 15-30 minutes you have at lunch.  Surprise!  Something has to give.  Maybe set an alarm and leave work on time, non-negotiable, 3 days/week to get some exercise or walk for the first 15 minutes at lunch then eat your meal and surf the web with whatever time you have left.  Good health is good for productivity, don’t you know?

"Giving something up" sounds so daunting, but if we do it right, we are really just making room for the things that will truly make us stronger, healthier, and happier.  We just may not see it or feel it until we get there.

8 more daily actions in honor of National Nutrition Month® (had to double up a day, 2 for 1).

March 8 and 9: Get enough sleep tonight and follow a calming routine before bed – dim lights, quiet, etc.
March 10: Have a fruit or vegetable at every meal and snack
March 11: Participate in an exercise that is new/different for you (exercise class at local gym, home video, yoga, swimming, or just dance for 20 minutes to your favorite music)
March 12:  Eat 3 servings of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese)
March 13:  Intentionally reflect on every blessing in the little moments of your day (smiles, kindness, your family, music, safety, quiet time, the warmth of the sun, etc.).
March 14: Enjoy a small treat…slowly, mindfully, savoring each little bite
March 15: Call someone you have not talked to in a while, but whose relationship you cherish

Have a beautiful week!