#31 Is snacking really bad for us? How the way we store food can impact our food choices and an interesting conversation around how the gut can control your brain.
The Weekly Dose
Keeping nutritious and healthy foods at eye level and within easy reach in the kitchen has been shown to help support healthier food choices.
For example, storing dry ingredients that you want to cook with more regularly in clear containers can help spark ideas of what to make throughout the week. If you like to plan your meals for the week ahead of time (which we highly recommend), you know which ingredients you have ready to use, making shopping lists much easier.
We’ve found this works well with nuts, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and hemp), quinoa, oats, other whole grains (buckwheat, rice, spelt), beans, pulses, pasta and homemade muesli/granola and crackers.
We love using Kilner jars for this or alternatively, reusing glass jars (Meridian nut butters and Bold Bean Co works just as well with the labels removed.
Keeping snack foods, processed foods or anything you don’t want to eat as often in opaque containers above or below eye level, or the back of the cupboard can be a simple and effective strategy to support your health.
Storing food in this way can help them last longer and also reduce food waste, ensuring you know what you have and what needs to be used up, instead of forgetting about them at the back of the cupboard to go off.
Read on for some myth busting around snacking, a kale chip recipe, a podcast exploring the connection between how our gut can control our brain and a Halloweeny recipe below.
Is snacking bad for me?
Eating regularly, at least every 4-5 hours has actually been shown to support health outcomes, rather than hinder them.
It is the constant grazing, from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep that has been shown to have more of a negative effect on our digestive system, weight management and overall health.
By enjoying well balanced meals throughout the day which include good sources of fibre, protein, complex carbohydrates and fats, you can often reduce the need to snack constantly throughout the day.
It is also completely normal for our hunger signals and appetite to change on a daily basis as these can be influenced by multiple factors such as sleep, stress levels, exercise and what we’ve eaten so far that day.
By implementing a regular eating pattern, listening to your innate hunger and satiety signals to guide your eating choices, you’ll be able to make the right decisions for you.
There may be days where you don’t need a snack, and days where you might want something to tide you over until the next meal. In which case, enjoying a well balanced snack (see below for ideas) can be helpful to curb hunger between meals, reducing the chance of overeating during meals.
Everyone is different and so are their needs, likes and dislikes.
There is no right or wrong number of snacks to include each day so I encourage you to listen to your body and if you want a snack, aim to include some form of fibre, protein and healthy fat to support your mood, energy and appetite in the best way.
Some of our favourite snacks include:
Apple & nuts or nut butter
Raw carrots & pepper with hummus
Dark chocolate & walnuts
Oatcakes with goats cheese & kimchi
Kefir with berries & seeds
This Week’s Recipe: Kale Chips
These are deliciously crunchy and work well as nibbles, with a drink or as a side to meals. Currently in season, kale is packed with nutrients (iron, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin A) as well as fibre.
I love these with smoked paprika but feel free to add whatever herbs/spices you have in the house.
Serves 2, 20 minutes