Like a newborn who wants to eat all evening and keep mom awake (often called “cluster feeding”), we adults do the same thing. How many times have you tried to “save” calories for dinner and drinks, skipped breakfast, and found yourself famished at 11am?
“Saving” calories often backfires. If you’re starving by 11, there’s a good chance you’ll overeat then. At that point, you’re more likely to decide your good intentions have gone out the window and make bad eating choices for the rest of the day.
Our bodies are designed to burn off more calories during the day and less at night. Eating more later in the day means less time for those calories to be used up – and more time for them to be stored as fat while you’re sleeping.
Here are our Top 3 Tips to Avoid Eating Like a Baby!
1. Wake up thinking about breakfast
People who eat breakfast are healthier, with lower risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure.
If you’re really not into breakfast, start small. Find something you want to wake up to – we’re fans of a good protein source like yogurt or a hard-boiled egg with some fruit, or a small serving of leftovers from last night’s dinner.
2. Protein and fiber, every 3 hours
Your body needs these two nutrients to stay healthy, and they have the added bonus of filling you up! Make sure every meal and snack has a good source of protein (beans, yogurt, nuts, lean meat, or a protein bar) and a good source of fiber (a fruit, vegetable, or whole grain).
Our four favorite protein- and fiber-rich snacks are:
• Dry-roasted edamame with a clementine
• NuGo Slim Bar or RXBAR
• A Greek yogurt (we like siggi’s or Fage) and a piece of fruit
• Hummus with carrots and “food should taste good” chips
3. Balance your calories throughout the day
Your calorie intake at breakfast, lunch, and dinner doesn’t have to be identical, but the vast majority of your food intake shouldn’t happen when you get home from work.
Why starve yourself all morning? Who wants to be hungry for half of the day? Spread out your calories and eat a snack high in protein and fiber every three hours to be a less hungry, healthier you!
For more snack ideas, check out our “Healthy snacks by calorie level” supplement (Message us here to get your copy).