5 ways to snack mindfully

It’s easy to eat more than we need if we aren’t paying attention. Dietitian Melissa Meier shares five simple ways to be more mindful when we snack.

1 Assess your hunger

Before you dive into the snack drawer, ask yourself if you’re truly hungry. Do you feel real hunger pangs or hear your tummy grumbling? If not, you could be feeling tired, emotional or just bored, and don’t really need to eat.

2 Don’t keep unhealthy snacks in the house

If you’re easily tempted by a bag of chips or packet of biscuits, remove them from your kitchen. Out of sight, out of mind!

3 Keep healthy foods at eye level

To nudge you in a healthier direction, keep foods like chopped fresh fruit and wholegrain crackers at eye level in the fridge and pantry. Store treat foods in opaque containers in harder-to-reach places.

4 Put snacks on a plate

Rather than just eating snacks straight out of the packet, remove a sensible portion from the pack and place it in a bowl or on a plate. This will make you more aware of exactly how much you’re eating.

5 Eat distraction free

It’s easy to finish a whole snack without even realising when you’re watching TV or scrolling through social media. Turn off all your devices so you can be in-the-moment for the entire eating experience.