If there’s any one thing that happens to all of us, it’s stress-eating. If you know you can’t stop it 100% of the time (none of us can), keep some healthier snacks on handy for when you do. Then your stress sesh will end in relief of stress due to eating good foods, not more stress when you feel guilty from your binge.
- Veggies and hummus. Dipping whole veggies like carrots or celery into some hummus will have the satisfying feeling of chips and dip, but without the empty calories and excessive amounts of sodium.
- Roasted chickpeas. You can make them yourself of buy a snack pack, but either way you’ve got a snack that’s salty like chips without the crazy carbs.
- Whole fruit. This is a win-win scenario here, since something like an apple or a container of blueberries will pack in lots of nutrients without too many calories. I like to go for small berries, like blueberries or raspberries, so you can get that satisfying snacking feeling.
- Ants on a log. This childhood snack packs in lots of the nutrients, and as studies show, the work of preparing your snack makes you likely to eat less of it. And foods that remind us of childhood tend to be stress-reducers. Substitute almond butter for peanut butter and you have an even healthier snack.
- Water, plain or naturally flavored. Some research has shown that we often mistake thirst for hunger, so if you’re feeling like stress eating, down 8 ounces and wait a little while. If you need your water to be more fun, throw your favorite fruit in there for some flavor. ##MN_RESP##
- Herbal tea. If you’re stressed, why not drink a proven de-stresser? Herbal teas contain L-theanine, which is a natural calming amino acid.
- Dark chocolate-covered almonds. These things are my one vice. I used to be able to pop these like popcorn. But eaten in 1oz snack portions, they can reduce your stress hormones.
