Are you one of the people that constantly feel the urge of snacking on things? I believe that many of you readers now admit that you are – well maybe not constantly snacking on things, but… more often than needed I’m sure you know what I am talking about – you suddenly get the feeling of eating something small, something that will drive away the feeling of boredom or simply the urge to eat something. Whether it’s nuts, chips, popcorn, or sticks, it’s not a very healthy solution to this problem (and definitely not when eating in large amounts).

So what can you do to break this habit?

There is of course the most important factor – our will. If you have a strong will, there is no problem – just use it to break this bad habit. But unfortunately, this probably won’t be the common case, so we have to look for a more realistic solution.

A good start is to gradually replace the not-so-healthy snacks with something healthier – instead of chips, sticks or popcorn, try some of these:

• chopped vegetables, like carrot, cucumber or celery sticks
• grape tomatoes
• slices peppers
• wine grapes (but beware of higher sugar levels)
• sugar-free gum
• wasabi peas
• fruits – e.g. apples, strawberries

Generally said, you can’t go wrong with any green vegetables or majority of fruits. Just pay attention to the caloric values.

Another good thing to do is replacing some snacks with water. It may sound strange, but it works….  takes some time getting used to, but don’t give up – our brain is usually smarter than our tummy You can add flavor to the water if you like to.

I know from my own experience that it’s perfectly doable and you even don’t have to worry about hunger or renunciation. Just eat the right things. Good luck!