[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Are you used to eating between meals, grabbing something from the vending machine or taking cupcakes to the office to give yourself a little break?
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
But is it snacking or what we call “food splitting”?
What is snacking?
On average, 1 in 2 French people snack (Ntrinet study) and this contributes to excess weight.
It is therefore necessary to know how to differentiate “pure and hard” snacking from food splitting.
Because otherwise, you feel guilty about eating between meals, perhaps for nothing.
Snacking is eating outside of the main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) when the body does not need energy at that time.
In other words, we eat without being hungry.
We provide the body with excess energy that is not useful to it, so this contributes to weight gain, among other things.
Snacking is always linked to an emotional aspect such as stress, fatigue, boredom, a negative feeling.
Here are some tips to avoid snacking:
What is food splitting?
Food splitting is the act of “dividing” the 3 main meals into 4-5 or even 6 meals.
In fact, you eat lots of “small” meals during the day, but small, balanced meals.
And you do it because you are hungry! It’s a physiological need.
It even tends to make us “burn” more energy and therefore indirectly contributes to weight loss.
We eat what we want, when we want?
The condition is to be guided by hunger and not by the emotions that make us eat and therefore snack on foods that are not nutritionally interesting, such as chocolate bars, pastries, etc.
I have a tip for knowing if you’re really hungry or if it’s just a craving.
When taking the fateful act of eating between meals, ask yourself whether you would eat a bowl of soup.
If the answer is yes, you’re hungry and if you’re very hesitant or it’s no, ouch, that’s definitely a snack that was coming.
The key word: ORGANIZATION!
If we want to improve our health, we have to organize ourselves at least, we have no choice but it’s worth it to be in good health, right?
I suggest you always have with you a practical snack to carry, such as fruit, almonds, or rusks for example.
This keeps very well in the office even without a refrigerator.
To summarize
- Snacking is not good for your health.
- Eating several small, balanced meals during the day is not snacking.
- Be organized: pack a handy snack.
- Don’t feel guilty if you’re really hungry.