7 Rules for Keto Snacking Success

Snacking while on a “diet” is a very controversial thing. Many people think its the work of the devil, while others can’t get through a day without it.

Obviously, snacking is not always a good thing, as it can often lead to mindless eating, and eating a lot more than we had planned! But it’s also a reality. There’s about 10,000 reasons why people snack.

Rather than giving in to temptation and snacking on something non-keto, it’s best to have some go-to snacks around that are keto friendly, easy to keep around places where you may otherwise go non-keto, and generally convenient. Plus, these items can often take the place of meals, or tide you over so you can (hopefully) eat less later, keeping you from overeating on even your keto-friendly main meals.

Here at KetoJam, we are OK with snacking. We like to say “Snack Wisely.” But what the hell does that mean?

Here’s are some ideas:

1) Force portion control.

Individually wrapped small servings are best. I can’t stress this enough. They’re a natural way from keeping you from overeating. Think individually wrapped string cheese or small individual packs of almonds. Sure, individually wrapped stuff is often more expensive and bad for the environment, but those things should be a lower priority than your health and your weight loss.

2) Only snack if you’re really hungry.

Train yourself to check your actual hunger before you put anything in your mouth.  Don’t eat because you’re bored, or because you’re procrastinating (like I always used to do… OK, and I sometimes STILL do).  For my test of whether I’m actually hungry,

3) Set a time for snacks.

Only eat during that time, and ONLY if you’re hungry (see above). It’s best to set that time only during your allowed eating windows. I have bad habits of “going back for seconds” after I’ve had that first snack. Food is addictive, and once we’ve had one snack, our minds tell us to have more. Put off the snack as long as you can.

4) Purposely procrastinate.

I use this one often.  I’ll be sitting at my desk around 3pm when I get bored.  Rather that going and grabbing a handful of nuts, I tell myself that I’ll wait one more hour before going to get them, which is an easy deal to make with myself.  Often times I end up forgetting about it after that hour, and not eating until much later.  Win!

5) No “keto-cheating” with small-sized snacks.

This should be obvious. But sometimes people think that if they have carbs in small “snack-size” quantities, they’re OK. Nope, sorry. Even a small airplane bag of pretzels has 10g of carbs, and if you’re flying Southwest, they’ll give you two bags at least! There goes your entire carb budget for the day…

6) Eat stuff you like!

Another one that should be obvious… but I like to remind people of it. There are tons of great convenient snack options that are keto-friendly — take advantage of it! Don’t like almonds? Try pili nuts! Don’t like string cheese? Try sausage sticks! Experiment and find your go-to yummy treats.

7) Know where to go.

If you’re on the go, traveling, or stuck in the office, know some convenient places to find keto-friendly snacks. Stock your office with them. Know the nearest convenience store that carries them. You’re almost NEVER stuck without close-by keto options, so don’t think you’re stuck on a no-keto island and use that as an excuse to slip up.