Snacks

Ward off that craving

People eat for a lot of reasons, and often when they’re not even hungry. When you get that late-night urge to snack, try these tips instead:

• Keep your hands busy – do a puzzle, sew or paint your nails.
• Brush and floss right after dinner.

• Learn to differentiate between hunger and boredom. Are you really hungry?
• Ask yourself, “How badly do I want this food?” Usually when you really think about it, you won’t want it anyway.
• Don’t keep junk food in the house – if it’s not at your disposal, you’re less apt to go out and buy it.
• Drink tea instead of eating. Stick to an herbal non-caffeinated tea like mint.
• Many times, those hunger pangs are just your body telling you it’s dehydrated. So keep a water bottle with you at all times. Water will keep you hydrated and satisfied, and stop you from running to the fridge for that late-night snack!
• Make plans in the evening – the day doesn’t end after work. Keep yourself busy with friends, your family, your pet and you won’t suffer from late-night snacking boredom.
• Take a bath. Let’s face it, who in the world eats in the bathtub?
• Set a snack time limit. For instance, promise yourself that there will be no snacking after 7 p.m. – and stick to your guns!

If you are honestly hungry, try one of the following healthy late-night snacks:

• Air-popped popcorn, minus the butter
• 6 whole-grain Melba rounds with dollops of cottage cheese
• 6 rice cakes
• Low-fat yogurt
• A sliced apple and a bit of low-fat cottage cheese
• A cup of grapes
• Whole-grain cereal with low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese or skim milk
• A frozen fruit bar
• Cut-up fruits or veggies
• Half a grapefruit
• If you’re suffering from a chocolate craving, have some calorie-reduced cocoa – the real stuff!