10/04/2020
Focus on your meals not your snacks. .
This may sound counterintuitive to some, but once you understand why and practice it, it makes sense.
If you are snacking in the 4 hours or so between meals because you are hungry, then the issue isn’t a lack of snacks, its more likely you need to put more thought into your main meals. .
All my meals have certain things in common (swipe through pictures for examples), they all contain:
1) 2-3 servings of plants🥬
2) A serving of protein🍗
3) A source of fats🥑
4) Delicious tasting and looking food (digestion starts in the brain 😉)
5) And sometimes direct carbohydrates.🍚🥖.
This combination means that I stay full for hours between meals, rather than reaching for the biscuits after an hour.
Plants – fruit or veg, there are no limits to variety, aim for a range of sources and colours. -
Protein – aim for ~20-30g of protein per meal, this is roughly a palm sized amount. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, as it’s the hardest for the body to breakdown, so it makes sense that including it will help keep you fuller for longer. -
Fats – aim for a thumb sized portion roughly for oils and nuts, or half an avocado etc., opting for polyunsaturated where possible (note if you choose a fattier source of protein or cook with oil then that will likely be enough fat). Fats slow down the rate a digestion by reducing gastric emptying, again keeping you fuller for longer. -
One reason may be put off by this approach (and I used to be in this boat too), is that you don’t want to “waste” more calories on your meals, because then “what if I do get hungry between meals?? Then I’ll get the same snacks and I’ll be eating wayyyy more than before!”. I will explain this more in my next post.