Snacking

[Senoritaemily8]

I know I"m not supposed to snack on the Whole30, but I'm hungry between meals. I feel like I'm eating plenty, and I don't have the energy to WO. My go to snacks have been a handful of nuts and some fruit. I'd like to cut back on the nuts because it sounds like those can have a negative impact and, frankly, I need something to change because I just really want to quit this right now.  

 

So - what are some healthy snack ideas to replace nuts? Preferably, besides meat?

 

Here is a typical day:

 

-2 eggs, 1/3 avocado, sweet potato hash, spinach and black coffee

 

-Grilled salmon over kale and brussel sprout salad with EVOO

 

-Almonds and grapes

 

-Beef stew with carrots and potatoes, green salad with balsamic and EVOO

 

Thank you,

 

Emily

[ladyshanny]

If you are hungry between meals it's either because you have a stint of more than 4-5 hours between or because you are not eating enough. My guess, based on the report above, is that you aren't eating enough at each meal. Eggs, when they are your protein, are as many as you can hold in your hand wihtout dropping; a good start is 3-4 for most people. A light breakfast like you've been having is hard to come back from later in the day, so addressing this could help overall.

Fruit alone will contribute to later day hunger and cravings and could cause you to feel hungry sooner. Eat it only with a main meal, after you've had the template recommendation of protein, veggies and fat.

It's hard to tell from your write up what your portions are. How much salmon? How much salad? Did you have at least one palm worth of meat from your stew?

[GFChris]

Start with increasing your portions at meals.

- When eggs are your sole protein, the serving size is the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping them. For most people, that's 3-4 eggs.

- The avocado portion is 1/2 to 1 whole avocado

- Aim for 1-3 cups of veggies per meal. Salads: think large mixing bowl.

Until you get to a place where your meals satiate you for 4-5 hours, if you get genuinely hungry between meals (litums test: you could eat something bland like steamed fish and broccoli), have a mini meal of protein, carb and fat. Possible non-meat options for protein include eggs, sardines, shrimp, salmon and tuna.

[sspayne]

I was struggling with this before too - to echo what the moderators are saying, increase the fat. Add more avocado, a few olives, a few nuts (only every now and then). Pile on the veggies too. I really have to evaluate if I'm hungry or not. It's like a habit for me to snack. I also go for every 4 hours rather than 5, and try really to eat "intuitively" FWIW. I feel like I'm eating a ton, but my clothes are fitting really well and I'm not bloated.