How to Stop Snacking Mindlessly

A Registered Dietitian breaks down if snacks are bad for you and easy strategies to stop mindlessly snacking.

*This post was medically reviewed by Nicole Addison, Registered Dietitian (RD), MHSc., BASc.

As our society gets busier and more fast-paced, snacks have begun to take over meals as a main source of nutrition. Some estimates even show that snacks make up 25% of teens' energy intake. After all, who has time to sit down to a full meal when they can just eat a protein bar on-the-go?

As a dietitian, I get asked all the time if snacking is bad for you. The answer isn't black or white: like all things in nutrition, the answer will be individual. What types of snacks are you eating? Why are you snacking? When are you snacking?

This post will dive into all things snacks, why snacking can actually be beneficial, and how we can combat the mindless snacking.

Health Benefits of Snacking

The truth is, snacking is not necessarily bad. Many times, I even encourage snacks. Here are some top benefits of snacking:

1. Increased nutrient intake. Naturally, snacks provide an additional opportunity to increase nutrient intake between meals. Although many processed "snack foods" may be higher in salt, sugar and fat, we can prioritize nutrient-dense options with vitamins, minerals and fibre to optimize our health.
2. Balanced blood sugar. I always recommend eating every 4-5 hours to avoid energy crashes. If you feel sluggish in the afternoon or tend to go hours between lunch and dinner, snacks can be helpful in keeping your energy levels stable.
3. Feel in control at meals. We've all had those times when we felt hungry, but ignored those cues because the next meal was in 1-2 hours. The result? You arrive at that meal ravenous and ready to eat the whole table. Eating a small snack can tie you over between meals so you can arrive at the table feeling comfortable, and more able to listen to your fullness cues.
4. Fuel your workouts. Nutrition is key in exercise, sports and overall performance. A pre-workout or post-workout snack can fuel your workout and help you recover faster.

With this being said, not all snacks are created equal. Let's talk about the type of snacking that doesn't support our health in the same way.

What is Mindless Snacking?

Mindless snacking is when we're eating between meals for reasons other than hunger or nutrition. There are many reasons it occurs, but the most common causes are out of boredom or habit.

Think about the times you hit that lull in the middle of the work day and turn to some gummy worms to distract yourself. Or when you sit down the evenings to watch Netflix, grabbing a bowl of popcorn because "it's just what you do".

Mindless snacking is also called "grazing", and this is where you tend to pick on pieces of food throughout the day for no specific reason. You know, when there's a tray of brownies left cooling, and you just pick and nibble every time you pass.

I don't want to demonize these habits, because we all do them. It's part of being human, and not every bite of food that enters your mouth needs to be for health and nutrition. However, it's easy to fall into cycles with these habits and not feel our best.

It's also important to note that mindless snacking is significantly less satisfying, because it truly is mindless. Your focus isn't on the food, it's on the TV, your phone or something else. Simply put, an entire bowl of chips can disappear, in what feels like 5 minutes. Correspondingly, the types of foods we pick when mindless snacking tend to be lower in fibre and protein, the satiating nutrients. Altogether, mindless snacking is less physically and emotionally satisfying.

How to Stop Mindless Snacking

Now that we've covered what mindless snacking looks like and why it occurs, I wanted to share some dietitian-approved strategies to combat it. There are many reasons an individual might mindlessly snack, so take what works for you and leave what doesn't.

Prioritize Balanced Meals

If you're constantly thinking about food or snacking mindlessly, it might be a good idea to evaluate your main meals. Do they protein, high fibre carbohydrates and healthy fats? Are your portion sizes adequate?

A balanced meal should have enough staying power to keep you full for at least 3-4 hours. I find that when my meals are less satiating, I think about food (even subconsciously) and tend to feel snackier.

Don't forget that emotional satisfaction is also an important part of meals! It doesn't matter how much protein, fibre or nutrition we can pack into a meal. If it's something we don't enjoy eating, it's only so long before the cravings and snacking start to creep up. I try to prioritize emotional satisfaction at every meal, whether that means having a sweet treat or adding a yummy dressing to my veggies. Remember, healthy eating can be delicious and enjoyable!

Get Enough Sleep

A good night's sleep is a key pillar of health, but it's one we often forget about. If you've ever felt your eating habits slide after a restless night, you're not alone. In fact, research shows that poor sleep is associated with increased cravings, especially with high sugar and calorie foods.

It's still unclear why this actually happens, but it's likely due to alterations in brain activity and appetite regulating hormones. But the main takeaway is that sleep can affect your dietary choices, possibly increasing your likelihood of mindless snacking. So prioritize proper sleep hygeine and rest up!

Balanced Snacks with Intention

Now let's say you're genuinely caught between meals with nagging hunger. In this case, I always recommend building a balanced snack that contains at least 2 food groups. It can help to think of snacks as "mini meals"; they don't necessarily mean chips or candy.

Being smart and intentional with our snacks allow us to feel both emotionally and physically satisfied, so we can honor our hunger and move on with the day. I have a full blog post for how to build a balanced snack, but here are some ideas to start you off:

• Apple slices and peanut butter (or my peanut butter yogurt dip!)
• Carrot sticks with hummus
• Whole grain crackers with guacamole
• Energy balls
• Homemade protein bars
• Greek yogurt with berries
• Homemade muffins
• Cottage cheese dip and veggies
• Smoothies

I have tons of balanced snack recipes on my blog if you need more inspiration!

Practice Mindful Eating

Mindfulness is a huge part of satisfaction when eating. I mentioned earlier how mindless snacking is just not satisfying, because we're eating our food without even noticing or enjoying it.

On the other hand, mindful eating can help combat this. There are a variety of ways to approach this, but a good way to start is by removing distractions. Put away your phone, and maybe spend the meal listening to music or catching up with a friend. Take some time to truly appreciate your food and employ all your senses: sight, taste, smell and touch (but maybe not if it's a bowl of pasta!).

Even if you catch yourself mindlessly snacking, take a pause and try implementing these tips. By taking the time to properly experience our food, it helps increase satisfaction so we can enjoy eating mindfully.

Care for your Mental Health

It should come as no surprise that mental health and appetite are largely connected. I've seen this go both ways: some people lose their appetite, and others stress eat.

Food can serve as a distraction in times of life stress and some research even shows that it can dampen the negative effects of stress. I don't want to demonize stress eating, because it is NORMAL to mindlessly drown your sorrows in ice cream after a bad day. I've done it, we all have.

But food shouldn't be the only tool we have to cope with our mental health. If you find yourself consistently turning to food to numb feelings, deal with stress or feel better, it might be worthwhile working on other ways to self-soothe. That could look like coloring, a bubble bath, or even a more targeted approach like therapy. There are so many approaches to caring with our mental health, and I'd encourage you to find what works for you.

Bottom Line on Snacking

At the end of the day, we all mindlessly snack. There are so many reasons why we do it, and that will be individual to you. Working on mindless snacking might be a simple fix, a struggle rebuilding habits, and may even force you to re-evaluate your relationship with food. Whichever boat you fall in, don't forget to treat yourself with grace in the process. Reducing mindless snacking doesn't have to be a cruel process coming from a mindset of restriction, rather, let it come with the intention of self-care.

More Blog Posts You Might Like

Did you find this post helpful? I love sharing nutrition content to help you feel your best! Read these next:

• 10 High Protein Vegetarian Snacks
• Beginner's Guide to Fibre (High Fibre Printable Foods List)
• How to Build a Balanced Snack (25 Healthy Snacks)
• Easy Snack Plate Ideas (Girl Dinner)

*Contribution by Charlotte Chan, nutrition and dietetics student at University of Western Ontario