{"id":33654,"date":"2015-06-28T22:51:53","date_gmt":"2015-06-29T06:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=33654"},"modified":"2015-07-02T15:34:30","modified_gmt":"2015-07-02T23:34:30","slug":"the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 Best Reasons To Have A Snack"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p class=\"p1\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">To snack or not to snack, that is the question? For years the great debate over how to get a hold over our health has raged on &#8211; 3 big square meals? 5-6 smaller meals through out the day?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">As someone who has a profound interest in both personal and general health, I have read hundreds of articles on the best ways to feel your best, but in the end, I can only really speak to my personal experience on the matter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For me, without a question, <i>healthy<\/i> snacking is not only the more enjoyable route to go, but one of necessity. Why? Because when I really analyzed how I felt (big meals vs. small, incorporating healthy snacks) I noticed 3 really big changes for the better.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Here they are:<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"p1\">1. Better Weight Balance<\/h1>\n<p class=\"p1\">They say 70-75{54c12dad2cc2b53ae830e39915b1a3e70288dbcbbeb8bbf8395437c5dc3c512c} of weight loss is a result of diet (the rest exercise) &#8211; so what and how you eat are obviously crucial to maintaining a healthy weight. When I eat large meals, 2 things happen: Firstly, I feel super full &#8211; like uncomfortably full, and then a couple of hours later my blood sugar really starts to drop &#8211; taking with it, my energy. Either mid-morning or mid-afternoon healthy snacks are a great way to temper your hunger and have consistent energy throughout the day. The keys to this plan are: making sure your bigger meals of the day aren\u2019t huge (and are packed with nutrition) and planning in advance for the snacks you\u2019ll eat. Waiting until you\u2019re hungry to make this decision makes bad choices a lot more common. So plan ahead to find the balance you need!<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-33656\" src=\"http:\/\/ptb-uploads-prod.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9253-460x345.jpg\" alt=\"is snacking healthy\" width=\"460\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9253-460x345.jpg 460w, https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9253-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"p1\">2. Stops the impulse eating<\/h1>\n<p class=\"p1\">To add to the last point above, the choices we make when we\u2019re hungry are not necessarily the best choices. Making sure you never hit the \u2019I\u2019m starving!\u2019 phase is crucial to making the right call. Think about it: ever gone to the grocery store when you\u2019re famished? I have and by the end my shopping cart feels like a bin of junk. Here\u2019s where healthy snacking comes in. Having a healthy snack one or a couple of times of day allows you to maintain your energy levels and control &#8211; and once you\u2019ve got your cravings in check, you\u2019ve got a lot more power on your side.<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"p1\">3. Boosts your productivity &amp; your mood<\/h1>\n<p class=\"p1\">Throughout a busy day, heavy meals (filled with carbs, fats &amp; sugars), stress and rushing around mess with your energy levels and can really run you down. Choosing smaller sensible meals (think: lean proteins, whole grains &amp; veggies) combined with healthy mid-day pick-me-ups in the form of healthy snacks (containing good fats &#8211; think nuts, dried fruits etc) create slow burning fuel that help give you energy throughout the day &#8211; eliminating the peak and dips that unhealthy choices create. This not only boosts your mood &#8211; more energy\/less sleepy but allows you to operate at your fullest potential and get stuff done!<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>So how do I stay snacking?<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-33657\" src=\"http:\/\/ptb-uploads-prod.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9228-460x460.jpg\" alt=\"snack delivery service\" width=\"460\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9228-460x460.jpg 460w, https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9228-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9228-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">As mentioned, one of the keys to getting your diet right is PLANNING. A couple of months ago I discovered <a href=\"http:\/\/9nl.co\/cfqu\">NatureBox<\/a> &#8211; a snack subscription service that delivers, to my doorstep, incredible tasting and satisfying snacks of all varieties. Not only do I get to discover a whole new world of great food &#8211; totally nutritionist approved! &#8211; but incorporating this element into my world has dramatically helped me increase my energy while working on my health at the same time. With over 100 snacks from healthy to indulgent, there is something for everyone to get your snacking started!<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><strong>2 SPECIAL OFFERS FOR PICKTHEBRAIN READERS!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">1. <\/span><span class=\"s2\">Join NatureBox today and get a FREE sample box of some of their most loved snacks! Click <a href=\"http:\/\/9nl.co\/bz30\">here<\/a>\u00a0to get started!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>Free trial is available for new and US and Canadian subscribers only. Not valid on gift subscriptions and may not be combined with any other offers.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">2. TWO winners will each win a free 6-month subscription to NatureBox. Enter the giveaway by <a href=\"http:\/\/9nl.co\/67c7\">clicking here<\/a>\u00a0to browse what snacks NatureBox has to offer, and then leave a comment below, letting me know what snack you\u2019d like to try. <b>Please leave an email address so we can contact the winners!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>(Open to US and Canada readers only. Must have a US or Canadian shipping address. Contest open for a week)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-33658\" src=\"http:\/\/ptb-uploads-prod.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9233-460x460.jpg\" alt=\"a better way to snack\" width=\"460\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9233-460x460.jpg 460w, https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9233-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9233-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>*Post sponsored by NatureBox*<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To snack or not to snack, that is the question? For years the great debate over how to get a hold over our health has raged on &#8211; 3 big square meals? 5-6 smaller meals through out the day? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":33655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[24,6],"tags":[2409,1240,2011,66,4629,4427],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The 3 Best Reasons To Have A Snack<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To snack or not to snack, that is the question? 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For years the great debate over how to get a hold over our health has raged on - 3 big square meals? 5-6 smaller meals through out the day?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-06-29T06:51:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-07-02T23:34:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9255-460x345.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"460\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"345\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@pickthebrain\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erin Falconer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9255.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_9255.jpg\",\"width\":3264,\"height\":2448,\"caption\":\"The 3 Best Reasons To Have a Snack\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack\/\",\"name\":\"The 3 Best Reasons To Have A Snack\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-3-best-reasons-to-have-a-snack\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-06-29T06:51:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-07-02T23:34:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2da8ae162c097bdb749ab098472b4cc5\"},\"description\":\"To snack or not to snack, that is the question? 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