Whether you’re stuck inside during quarantine, working from home until you can get back to the office, or just prone to staying home anyway, we’re all confronted with that same familiar urge: the need to constantly snack.
We all do it! A few hours in front of the laptop or a few episodes into our current binge watch, and suddenly those pizza rolls you haven’t thought about in weeks start singing their snacky siren song.
No matter what your diet or physical condition, uncontrolled snacking can start to ruin your appetite, mess up your metabolism, and waylay those exciting dinner plans you came up with while trying to stay busy during the big shutdown.
If you’re going to be stuck at home, you might as well try to be healthy about it, right? We’re not saying you need to start throwing away all your potato chips, but taking some time to come up with a few good methods to curb your snacking can be healthier – and, dare we say it, fun – in the long run!
How to Control Snacking For Kids
Parents with kids of any age are surely aware of what an issue snacking can be. One second your kid is screaming for cookies or something covered in salt and cheese powder, the next thing you know they’re conveniently too full to eat their vegetables.
Controlling snacking in younger kids can take a few forms, depending on how crafty and adventurous you feel. One of our favorite methods we’ve seen is to create a ‘store’ that can help you ration snacks and encourage your kids to help with chores. Take some Monopoly money (or draw your own, if you’re the artistic sort) and reward them to your kids for the completion of age-appropriate chores around the house; making their own beds, putting their own clothes away, that sort of thing. As these chores are done, reward them with their fake money that they can exchange for their favorite pre-portioned snacks (stored up high in the pantry on their own pantry organizer or in colored storage bins for easier access) to cut down on the constant requests!
If this isn’t a viable option for your living situation, the important thing to emphasize is consistency. Teach your kids that they can only have snacks during certain times of the day, spaced equally between mealtimes (accommodating for things like work schedules and meal availability), to help maintain their appetite come dinner time without totally depriving them of the occasional Cheeto.
How to Control Snacking for Grown-Ups
Of course, if you don’t have a parent there to try and help keep things under control, it can be a little hard to fight the urge yourself.
One of the fastest ways to help control your snacking habits is not to give up on it entirely. Instead, make plans ahead of time each day for what you can eat, how much of it, and when. Whether you’re stashing plastic containers of leftovers throughout the pantry and fridge full of pre-portioned meals and snacks, or merely keeping a list to remind yourself not to grab that second 100-calorie package of tiny cookies, this can help you keep everything in perspective and avoid overindulgence.
Especially during these days of working from home and never going anywhere, the important thing to keep in mind is that you may not actually be hungry, you’re just bored. The next time you get the urge to snack, take a second and think it through – didn’t I just eat? Am I just trying to occupy my hands until Netflix quits buffering? If you’re genuinely hungry and far enough from your next meal, go for it, otherwise maybe take a break to clean something or clear out your Instagram notifications.
Finally, remember to drink a lot of water. A good rule in general, but it can actually do a lot to curb the need to snack and help your metabolism out.
Stay frosty out there, friends! You’ll be back at the gym – or your favorite restaurant – soon enough.