WHAT ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR?

TIPS TO HELP YOU SELECT APPROPRIATE SNACKS

Your goal is to find healthful foods that not only taste good, but satisfy your sensory needs.  The next time you are truly hungry, ask yourself “What am I hungry for?”  Foods can be divided into several categories, based on consistency, temperature, texture, and flavor.  Listed below you will find some examples.  Add other healthful foods of your own preference as you decide what does and does not work for you.  Observe what you may be hungry for and be sure to stock your cupboards or refrigerator with these foods.  Remember - if you make the snacks convenient and easy to obtain, you will eat these items over non nutritious foods.  If you notice, I don’t have serving sizes listed.  Remember to look at the labels for the serving size and follow that amount.  Count out your potato chips or crackers, seal up the bag, and put the bag away! If you are craving a chocolate chip cookie, go the bakery and purchase just one, not a whole bag!

The next time you feel hungry, ask yourself these questions before selecting your snacks:  

1.  What consistency do you want - Liquid or Solid?

2.  What temperature do you want - hot or cold?

3.  What texture or flavor do you want?

Crunchy - flavored rice cakes, pretzels, baked low fat potato chips, cereal such as oatmeal squares (package serving size in small snack size plastic bags), broccoli slaw with low fat dressing, marinated vegetables in fat free Caesar salad dressing or served with fat- free vegetable dip, baked tortilla chips, reduced fat crackers, air popped popcorn, breadsticks or melba toast, animal crackers

Creamy - fat free pudding, frozen yogurt, sorbet, or sherbet, fudgesicle, 1% or fat-free cottage cheese, yogurt, frozen fruit bar, fat-free ice cream, 1 cup reduced- fat/sodium cream soup, milkshake made with skim milk or fat-free chocolate ice cream or frozen yogurt

Chewy - dried fruit such as cranberries or raisins, licorice or ‘twizzlers’, ‘gummy’ candy, 8-inch tortilla shell topped with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cheddar cheese( microwave until cheese melts), or fig bars

Starchy - baked or boiled white or sweet potato with fat-free margarine or salsa, English muffin, pita bread, bagel, soft pretzel, noodles, pasta, low-fat toaster waffle, graham crackers, rice, couscous, popcorn, garbanzo beans, reduced-fat crackers, gingersnap cookies, sandwich with lite bread and reduced-fat American cheese slice, air popped popcorn, or oatmeal

Salty - pretzels, baked low fat potato chips, low-fat crackers, cottage cheese, reduced-fat cheese, broth based soups, air popped popcorn

Sweet - fudgesicle, frozen fruit bar, angel food cake topped with strawberries (frozen or fresh), fruit,  2 oreos,  2 fat-free cookies, graham crackers, vanilla or chocolate wafers, toaster waffle topped with fruit low-fat yogurt, toaster treat (poptart), fresh fruit topped with fat-free whipped topping or individual fruit containers, applesauce (microwave until warm and serve with a dash of cinnamon), animal crackers, or fig bars

Spicy - salsa

Chocolate - fudgesicle, chocolate wafers, chocolate graham crackers, chocolate pudding or yogurt, chocolate rice cakes, or hot chocolate with marshmallows

 Protein - individual mozzarella cheese stick, low-fat yogurt, 1 slice low-fat luncheon meat, fat-free or 1% cottage cheese, or tuna fish mixed with 2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise and sweet relish (serve with reduced-fat crackers)  

Did you know that your mood may determine what you are hungry for?  Take a look:

When you feel anger, you may prefer crunchy foods for chewing to release your built-up anger.

When tense, you often feel it in your jaw, neck, shoulders, and chewing will help release tension.  Chewing gum will help.

If you want a bellyful feeling, or like the feeling of stability and security, eat something warm and filling such as warm oatmeal cereal.

If you want to feel nurtured and comforted, then eat creamy foods such as a fudgesicle.  

TO CONTINUE - Click here for additional tips to help you control your eating and to set your contract