Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Snacking...ALL DAY LONG!!!

The art of snacking is a very delicate one. We all want to have snacks at our desk at work that we can eat all day long. Really, who wouldn't want an infinite supply of food and drink that you could enjoy all 8 hours of the work day, then go home to another infinite supply that you can eat while doing whatever you do at home?

Some people's self-control amazes me. I know some people who can keep Little Debbie chocolate-peanut butter bars in their cabinet for months before they're done with them. I just don't understand people like that. I have nothing to say to them except, "Wow. Props."

If you're anything like me, snacks like candy bars, wheat thins, ice cream, orange juice, and other irresistible foods disappear in less than 48 hours. If I had a craving for Wheat Thins some day and I bought them in the morning, they would probably be gone by the end of the day if not, by 9:00am the next day. The problem is that they are irresistible for me. I have very little self-control when it comes to junk food. The only time I stop eating it is when I finally get tired of it (which can sometimes take a very long time) or when I run out.

So I came up with a solution, because I absolutely love snacking throughout the day. One day my supervisor was at my desk with me and noticed my "Hint of Salt" Triscuits. He was a bit taken aback because Triscuits aren't exactly the most tasty cracker out there and when you take most of the salt out, they're even less tasty. The way I solved my problem of eating too much junk food was by buying food that tastes boring enough that I can stop eating it before eating half the box. My three snacks that I have regularly are "Hint of Salt" Triscuits, Unsalted Almonds, and Carrots. None of these particularly taste that amazing, so that makes them the perfect snack.
  • Triscuits, even though they are whole wheat, they're not perfectly healthy. They still have lots of carbs, so they aren't exactly good for me if I'm sitting around, not burning them. But I am able to eat the Triscuits in small enough quantities that they aren't bad for me.
  • Unsalted Almonds. I could actually eat these forever, but they are the most healthy of all the nuts, so it's okay. Low fat, high protein, no sodium. And they're just the right amount of sweetness for me to enjoy them. The only thing that really keeps me from eating an entire can of almonds every day is that they're so darn expensive.
  • Carrots are so good for you that once I start eating them, I allow myself to eat and eat and eat till I'm tired of carrots or until my coworkers start complaining about the loud chomping. I'm hoping for good eyesight and orangish skin since that's the trend these days with tanning salons and whatnot.
So take heart, fellow snackers! You don't have to wallow in guilt for eating boxes and boxes of irresistible snacks. You don't have to sit in starvation and boredom, wishing you had something to snack on. Just eat boring foods. It's much better than not eating anything and makes you feel less guilty than eating way too much junk food.

2 comments:

  1. I am a snacker too. But I was also known in my office days to keep cookies and candy for months on end. The nice thing is that I am distracted so easily that if I hide the snacks I forget about them.

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  2. I just learned the hiding trick a few days ago. I forget about my food a lot easier if it's in my drawer than if it's on top of my desk.

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