Are you into fitness or looking for an option to lose weight? If so, snacks can play a major role in achieving the right results. Snacks can either be truly useful in reaching your goals or simply hamper your results. Therefore, it is very important to choose healthy snacks while you are practicing a diet. This content will provide you more information on some of the unhealthy snacking habits that you should avoid to lead a healthy and happy life.
Below Mentioned are the Snacking Habits that can Hamper your Diet Plan:
1. Skipping Evening Snacks and Having a Heavy Dinner
Most of us experience that 3 pm - 5 pm energy dip. We feel low energy and hunger due to our circadian rhythm. In such cases, it is advisable to satisfy your hunger with something healthy and nutritious. However, when we miss this interval, we might feel the temptation to have a heavy dinner. This can have a negative impact on your weight loss goals.
Eating large meals before bedtime can disrupt your sleep and hinder digestion, which potentially lead to weight gain. Some people might also experience acid reflux after having a heavy dinner. However, when you are having an evening snack break, it will help you to have a well-balanced meal as dinner.
2. Never Turn Snack to Supper
Most people have a habit of turning their evening snack to dinner. However, this might not be ideal. Make sure your snack is something between 150 - 200 calories and it will not enter the meal territory. Your snack should also be rich in carbohydrates and protein. Moreover, snacks usually contain more calories and having it as a dinner requires quantity, which can be a heavy load of calories on your health.
3. Neglecting Pre-Workout Snack
If you are into fitness, you will probably understand the importance of pre-workout snacks. It is very important to have a nutritious snack at least an hour or 30 mins before the workout. This will give you the energy to workout without straining your body and also starving your body. On the other hand, eating lunch and then going to dinner directly by working out in between is a recipe for low energy levels and extreme hunger. This may also make you eat more during the dinner time which can be bad for your health goals.
4. Avoid Eating Just Because You’re Bored
We have all done it. Most of us like to munch on something when we are bored and sluggish. Keeping ourselves busy is one way to curb this urge. In case, if you are feeling like eating something just because you don't have anything to do, at least choose healthy and nutritious snacks. For instance, you can find a huge list of weight management snacks provided by Healthy Master, which can be highly beneficial for snacking.
5. Avoid Snack Picking
A pack of chips from the snack counter, a bit of chocolate bar from your colleague, a chat on the way home, etc is called snack picking. This is not snacking generally, rather an unhealthy diet habit that might distort your eating time table and health. It is important for you to stick on to the right intervals for snacking and avoid snack picking. If you do a little research, you will come across many healthy tasty snacks that will fill you and avoid unnecessary cravings.
6. Mindless Snacking while Distracted
One of the most bad snacking habits is eating while distracted. It does not matter whether you are working on your desk, scrolling through social media or simply watching TV, it is easy to go off track when you are snacking. Studies have shown that people usually consume more calories when they are not paying attention to the food. Mindless eating often leads to over consumption and you are really not aware of the hunger cues or portion sizes when your mind is occupied with something else. So, make sure you get rid of all these distractions, and eat mindfully.
7. Choosing Processed and Sugar Snacks
When it comes to convenience snacks, most of us think of packed chips, candy bars and cookies. However, they can hamper your diet goals as they are packed with unhealthy fats, empty calories and refined sugars. Although they provide you quick energy, it is followed by an energy crash. On the other hand, high sugar intake will also often lead to weight gain, poor heart health and increased risk of diabetes. So, it is important for you to swap processed foods with healthy snacks like baked chips, roasted makhana, and trail mixes.
8. Late Night Snacking
Snacking during the late night hours is also another habit that sabotages your diet. As mentioned above, eating close to your bed time will interfere with your digestion and can disrupt sleep cycle. Studies have shown that the calories consumed during the late night hours are less likely to be burned off, which increases the chances of weight gain. The best way to avoid this is to set a cut off timing for snacking, ideally at least 3 hours before bedtime. If you are having major cravings, you can have something light like nuts or a bowl of yogurt.
Apart from the above mentioned, other unhealthy eating habits are skipping meals and overconsuming snacks, choosing low fat snacks that contain added sugar, emotional or stress eating, overloading salty snacks and drinking carbonated drinks and beverages.
Conclusion
Snacking does not have to hamper your health goals if you are doing it right. When you become mindful about your choices, you will develop a healthier snacking habit, which can be very beneficial for your overall health and wellness. On the other hand, when you are choosing healthy snacks, make sure you are looking for balanced options like the ones offered by Healthy Master. These snacks are not just packed with flavors and goodness, but also with nutrients that will keep you satisfied.
FAQs
1. How can mindless snacking hamper your health?
Mindless snacking like eating when you are watching TV or working may lead to overeating. This can also result in excess calorie intake.
2. Are late night snacks harmful for weight management?
Yes, late night snacks can interfere with digestion and increase the calorie consumption. Your metabolism also slows down during the evening hours.
3. Where can I find healthy and nutritious snacks?
You can easily buy healthy snacks offered by Healthy Master. There is a huge list of diet specific snacks that you can order online.
4. What are the best alternatives to deep fried and salty snacks?
Instead of deep fried snacks, you can choose baked and low processed options. Nuts, seeds and dry fruits also make great snacking alternatives.
5. How many days will it take to deliver my snacks?
Once you place the order, we will quickly pack and ship the products, which will be delivered to you in 3-4 working days.