Eat Less By Packing Single Serving Snacks

Oh my goodness, what a week.  Like a lot of you – we’ve had SO much snow this week.  It’s been a little over 24 inches (and there’s more on the way this weekend). Boo! The long drives have really cut into my free time.  That means, meal plans have been thrown off, bedtimes have been later – our routine is all out of whack.  And when that happens, I admit it – I take shortcuts.  Maybe it’s fast food, or indulging in a candy bar (because I’m ravenous after having spent an extra hour in the car!) but I always feel so guilty about it afterward. I don’t even feel good after having a fast food meal. But I have to eat. What I’m finding, though, is that all I really need to do is take a few minutes to prepare.  So today’s tip is a very simple one: you can snack smart on-the-go anytime by packing nutritious treats ahead of time. Know it’s going to be a long car ride? Toss a single-serving snack in your purse before you hit the road!

When I don't plan ahead, I get too hungry.  That prompts me to eat more than I might have otherwise, or I stop for whatever's convenient.  But you can prevent this kind of overloading by packing some simple and calorie-smart snacks ahead of time.   Tossing a bag of mixed cereal and nuts in your purse or in your child's backpack can help them make smart choices when they get hungry.  You can keep cereal bars at your desk or in the car in case you get hungry.

See, here's what happens to me.  I know I need to make it to lunchtime, or that I'm going to be hungry later.  So I make sure I get enough to eat - a lot of times, I eat extra - to prevent getting too hungry later.  It's like I'm somehow worried that I will starve before my break, or before I can go home for dinner, haha.  So I end up eating more than I'm hungry for, just to make sure I don't get hungry later, or too hungry by mealtime.  But that's silly - I'm eating too much just out of worry that I will be hungry... instead of waiting to see if I'm actually hungry and need a snack later.

So I've started making sure I have a snack available all the time.  Sometimes, I don't even need it.  (Sometimes, I am really, really glad I have it!)  But now at mealtimes, I can focus on a reasonable portion size.  There is no reason to do this "preventative eating" thing - not when I may not even get hungry, and certainly not when it's so easy to pack up a single-serving snack ahead of time.  I've been enjoying Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars at my desk on those days I end up a little more hungry.  And you know what?  I haven't been tempted to get a big fast food meal since I've been bringing snacks.  You wouldn't think that packing extra food would help you eat less... but it's been working really well for me!  Making sure I have a snack in the morning gives me a great start toward staying on-track all day.

For more #GreatStarts ideas, visit Kelloggs.com/GreatStartsTips - the series offers 30 days of tips and ideas for giving you and your family a great start!

Kellogg’s® believes that From Great Starts Come Great Things®. So we’re helping Moms start every day with a tip from the top athletes of Team Kellogg’s™ and Team USA dietitians. The thirty days leading up to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games will each feature fun pieces of advice to help families fuel just like the athletes of Team Kellogg’s. To see all 30 tips, visit Kelloggs.com/GreatStartsTips.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Kellogg’s via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Kellogg’s.