Force Factor

Always get hungry between breakfast and lunch? Have a late night snacking habit? Can't resist the call of the vending machine at 3pm? Snacking is unavoidable for many of us. The solution? Snacking smarter! Read on for our top tips and tricks.

Although snacking may have a bad rep, for many guys eating multiple smaller meals daily is actually the ticket to bodybuilding success and avoiding fat gain. For others, snacks are completely supplemental to 3 larger daily meals and lead to packing on the wrong kind of pounds. We're talking about this second type of snacking in this week's article – the kind that happens when you head to the mini-mart, vending machine, or the office break room.

Snacks are often viewed as "treats," not fuel. However, it's time to start thinking about them as both. Snacks can be delicious, satisfy your salty or sweet cravings, and help you to hit your fitness goals. Here's how:

Key Nutrients

When choosing a snack, look closely at the nutritional label to find out how it can help you. Choose snacks that are high in fiber. Fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods that can keep your stomach feeling fuller for longer. Fresh fruits (whole, not just the juice) and vegetables are great sources of fiber. Whole grains are also higher in fiber so check that the label indicates whole grain. Like fiber, protein can also help you to feel fuller, for longer. Plus, optimal muscle-building requires a steady intake of protein throughout your day to maximize muscle gains. This is because the body can only process a limited amount of protein at a time, so overloading just at mealtimes isn't the best solution.

Be Prepared

Often, our bad snacking decisions happen because hunger strikes when we're not ready for it. So, we quash our cravings with the easiest available options, like a candy bar from the vending machine or a quick trip through the drive-through for some fries. Instead, smart snackers stock up on good snack choices and keep them handy in the car/office/backpack. Bring your own snacks to work to avoid the temptations of the vending machine or break room. Keep them in proportioned baggies though so you don't plow through a whole bag of trail mix mindlessly while at your desk.

Keep Track

Tracking your snacking means keeping an eye on both the number of snacks you're having and how large they are. If you're logging your fitness, make sure you're also logging your nutrition and writing down your between-meal snacks. Even if they're small, they still count towards your daily nutritional targets. For those that don't track on paper, avoid throwing away wrappers until the end of the day. Seeing the remains of your protein and granola bars on your desk all day should serve as a reminder to you of how much you've eaten already.

To keep track of portions, choose pre-portioned snacks or choices that come in natural portion sizes (like a banana or a slice of toast). It can be tough to eyeball portion sizes on some snacks like chips and cereal so weigh/measure them out and put them in single-serving baggies before you snack.

Make Sure You're Hungry

Hunger is just one of many reasons why we snack. For some of us, stress and boredom can also lead to compulsive snacking. If you find you're reaching for snacks just for something to do, try to find another task to occupy your hands like a video game or surfing the web. Find alternate stress-busting activities if anxiety often causes your snacking. For many of us, working out can have as strong (or stronger) impact on reducing stress as snacking. By exercising your stress away, you'll be improving your fitness and your mental health.

The body can also confuse hunger with thirst. Try drinking a glass of water and waiting five minutes before you reach for a snack. You may find that your craving has disappeared.

Avoid Snack Traps

• High-sugar snacks. These can cause an insulin spike that make you crave another sugary snack soon after. Check sugar content on package labels.
• "Trigger foods." Trigger foods are the ones you know you'll keep eating past 1 portion. If you know you can't stop at a handful, it's usually best to avoid the snack all together.
• Endless portions. Don't keep the bag of chips (even if they're baked) or the box of cookies next to you on the couch. Take 1 serving and then put the rest back in the pantry before you take any bites.
• Late-night snacking routines. Many of us get the late-night munchies every night so snacking before bed becomes part of our routine. Don't fall into this trap! If you're hungry for a late-night snack, it's okay to go for it, but don't dig in just because it's a habit.
• Starving yourself at your main meals. If you're super hungry and always wanting to snack, it may be because you aren't providing yourself with enough fuel at mealtimes. Bulk up your breakfast with almond-topped oatmeal or add a few more ounces of lean protein and fiber-rich steamed vegetables to your dinner and see how that changes your later cravings.

Our Top Snack Picks

• Trail mix, ½ cup
• Peanut butter (2 tbsp.) on wheat crackers/toast or with apples & celery
• Home-Made Granola (store-bought granola is often very high in fat and sugar)
• Low-fat cheese (1 oz.) & crackers
• Low-fat cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & fruit
• Low-fat yogurt with (1 oz.) almonds
• Granola or protein bars, 1 bar
• Raw vegetables with salsa
• Whole fruit (banana, apple, pear)
• Baked chips, 1 ounce
• Turkey or beef jerky, 1 ounce
• Turkey pepperoni, 1 ounce
• Frozen grapes (1 cup) or frozen banana
• Whey protein shake