Healthy snacking isn’t just smart, it’s also an essential part of your recovery plan. After all, proper nutrition is key to healing your body and mind from the damage of addiction. And staying properly nourished throughout the day will give you more energy and focus to complete recovery tasks and distinguish hunger cues from cravings.
In general, it’s best to avoid processed, sugary foods, which could lead to a sugar addiction, or at the very least, an energy roller coaster. Instead, choose nutrient-rich foods and filling combos of protein and fiber. Here are some other smart snacking tips to follow.
Snack for better energy. If you’re feeling super tired it may mean that your meal didn’t provide enough calories and that your body needs a snack. Fuel up on something with protein and fiber, like low-fat string cheese with whole-wheat crackers or turkey roll-ups wrapped in lettuce with apple slices.
Skip constant snacking. When you snack, you’re adding several mini meals to your regular sized meals. This isn’t the same as grazing, which means portioning your regular meals into smaller servings.
Avoid emotional snacking. It’s easy to turn to food when you’re bored, sad, mad, or scared. Before you grab that snack, make sure you’re not eating to calm down or numb yourself from experiencing an emotion.
Snack mindfully. Your first step is to notice your triggers. For example, do you tend to reach for a sweet treat at 4 pm? If so, try changing this habit by drinking a glass of water first. If you’re still hungry, then go for a healthy alternative like banana slices with Nutella or plain Greek yogurt with berries.
Think real food. Don’t grab processed junk but focus on the real stuff. Cut up an apple and serve it in a bowl so it feels like a treat. You can even add some almond butter for protein. Other options: sweet potato, avocado, carrot, hummus, or fruit and veggie smoothies.
Nutritional Therapy at Red Oak
At Red Oak, we value the importance that good health and eating habits have on a lasting and fulfilling recovery. Our nutritional therapy program, as part of our drug and alcohol treatment, educates and encourages our clients to make inspired choices in the food they eat. To learn more, call: 866.457.7426.
