Snacking?

[JayneCW]

It doesn't seem like snacking is Whole30 approved, but I generally need to eat sometime mid between lunch and dinner. If I eat healthy like a handful of nuts etc is that ok?

[kirkor]

Need to snack usually means you need to change the size and/or composition of the previous meal, or increase hydration.

[JayneCW]

I've always had a super fast metabolism. I just don't know who to cope that long when the hunger hits. It's actually painful after a while.

[SpunkyBug]

I have a long time between lunch and dinner, and I've found that a small handful of olives usually tides me over if I must eat something as I'm preparing dinner.

 

From what I've learned on this forum and what I've experienced personally, it's best to limit the consumption of nuts to only when they are involved in a dish, like sprinkled on top of a salad. They can be hard on your gut, they're easy to eat too much of, and they don't have a good fat balance. 

 

I found that they fueled my crunch dragon and made me feel bloated, so I cut them down to next to nothing after my first W30.

 

If you don't usually like olives, try Castelvetrano olives. They are the only kind I can eat, and I love them. But they can be hard to find. Try a grocery store with an olive bar.

[MeadowLily]

"You can complete a Whole30 while doing a lot of things we recommend you not do. You would seriously undermine the value of spending 30 days eating Whole30-compliant foods if you snack on fruit all day long. 

 

The best way to get your hormonal rhythms where they need to be is to eat a substantial breakfast of protein, fat, and veggies within one hour of waking in the morning and then eating two more meals that are spaced 4-6 hours apart. If you snack all day long, you will undermine your hormonal adjustments.

 

It is okay to snack if you are hungry, but snacks should be temporary, until you get the hang of eating enough at each meal to be satisfied until your next meal. You should not eat because you are bored, because you have a habit of eating, or because you like to eat so much that you want to eat all day. An important part of the Whole30 is establishing a healthy relationship with food. Eating fruit all day is not a healthy relationship with food."

 

[ArtFossil]

One of the great things about doing a Whole30 is acquiring the ability to fuel your activities with three meals and no snacks.

Yeah, if you're doing an INTENSE workout you may need a pre/post workout meal.

And yes, if you're nursing or have health issues like gastric surgery or an unusual work schedule you may need to add a mini-template meal.

But snacking? Don't do it. Follow the template and increase the size of your meals and you won't need to snack. And you can experience the benefits of fat-burning.

Until you get there, have a mini template meal, and NOT nuts which are treated as a fat and are not the best nutritional choice you can make.

[Tom Denham]

You don't say how long dinner is after lunch. Eating well-composed meals of appropriate size should keep you satisfied 5 hours. If you are not eating enough in general, skipping post-workout meals, or not eating enough fat or protein, you need to work on composing meals better. However, going more than 5 hours between meals is another issue. I can go 6 hours without much trouble, but I have been doing this a long time. I don't recommend that you try to go more than 5 hours. Instead, eat something, but not a snack. Eat a mini-meal that includes veggies, fat, and protein. Leftovers are ideal. The idea is to nourish your body, not to put something in your belly to avoid hunger pangs for a while, which is what eating a handful of nuts or some fruit is really doing. 

[JayneCW]

Thanks everyone! Very helpful answers!