One thing that has been a weight off of my shoulder is the freedom of being able to snack without guilt. My next blog post is going to be all about breaking the stigma surrounding snacking. I’m really excited for you to read it! Sign up to the Take a Paws Email List so that you don’t miss it! Before you read that, I want to talk you through the snacks that I keep in my kitchen.
As we’re focusing on breaking down the stigma, I wanted to show you my kitchen snacks. It isn’t full of carrot sticks and protein bars. We all have different reasons for why we reach for a snack, myself included. I like to keep a variety in the house. My go-to snacks are a range of whole foods and processed goodies to keep my hunger at bay and my tummy happy.
Snacks I keep in my kitchen
Let’s start with my favourites: Chocolate and Biscuits. I used to be afraid of having these in the house. My mind was convinced that I would eat them all uncontrollably. However, whilst I do eat these snacks quicker than others, I have less cravings than when I used to restrict myself.
My favourite chocolate is probably a big bar of Galaxy and my favourite biscuits are chocolate digestives. Pictured here are the biscuits I ordered in my most recent food shop (I like to mix things up a bit). Pink wafers, Jam and Creams and Hazulnut Wafer Cubes. I also buy Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate quite often, too.
Next up we have snackajacks and porridge to go. I’m pretty sure the porridge to go bars are marketed as meal replacement snacks because ‘they have the same amount of oats as a bowl of porridge’. I try not to read the packaging on snacks too much because I don’t want to be influenced on my food choices. I still treat the porridge bars as a snack rather than a replacement for a meal. For me, a bar of oats does not qualify as a meal. Snackajacks are a regular feature in my cupboard at the moment. I love having one when it gets to that awkward hour before you have dinner. When your tummy is rumbling but you still need to cook. That’s my snackajack time!
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If I’m wanting a snack that’s going to fill me up for longer, I’ll choose a whole foods snack instead. I love preparing some hard boiled eggs and I keep them in the fridge, ready to eat. If I haven’t already eaten a banana at breakfast, I’ll grab one if I’m on the go. If not, I usually chop up some berries or melon.
Finally, if I’m low on snacks (or if I’ve already eaten everything else earlier in the day), I’ll make myself some toast as a snack. If I’ve got bagels in the cupboard, I’ll toast one of those or else I’ll just enjoy some plain old bread.
It really is about listening to your body and what it needs. I’m not one for making elaborate snacking bowls filled with organic superfoods. When I want a snack, I want something that is either ready to eat or will take me 5 minutes to prepare.
I used to love eating raw carrot sticks with hummus and I still do. However, I’ve not been interested in eating them recently, probably because I spent years only eating carrot sticks for my snacks!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this insight into what I keep in my kitchen. What’s more, I hope it’s helped you to feel more comfortable with your approach to snacking. There are no right or wrong foods and I’m going to talk about this more in my next post.
Until then, always remember to take a paws.
Charlotte x
Loved this! I feel like it’s so important especially at the moment (with the government’s campaign) for us to not be restricting ourselves and to listen to our bodies instead of diet culture.
Absolutely, Carla!