When 3pm rolls around, it can be hard to resist the lure of a biscuit, a slab of chocolate or something from the office vending machine.
And even if you’ve enjoyed a healthy day up until that point, that can all too quickly change if you regularly reach for an afternoon pick me up.
But according to dietitian and TV chef Zoe Bingley-Pullin, there are a handful of tips and tricks that can help to curb the unnecessary sugar rush and stop you comfort eating for good.
Here, speaking with FEMAIL, Zoe reveals the best remedies for mindless eating – including focusing on your breakfast and going for a short walk every time you feel the urge to reach for a snack.
According to dietitian and TV chef Zoe Bingley-Pullin (left and right), there are a handful of tips and tricks that can help to curb the unnecessary sugar rush and stop you comfort eating
First and foremost, Zoe said, you need to start the day right with a breakfast filled with 20 to 30 grams of protein (stock image)
Start the day right
First and foremost, Zoe said, if you don’t start your day right you can’t expect to get to even mid morning without feeling the need to snack.
‘It’s vital to start your day with a breakfast filled with around 20 to 30 grams of protein,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Research supports the use of a high protein breakfast to prevent snacking and grazing during the day.’
A decent mix of eggs, cottage cheese, salmon, scrambled tofu, yoghurt, milk, chia seeds, nut/seeds and/or plant-based protein powder will always serve you well.
You can also try drinking one to two glasses of water before you eat to prevent over-eating.
Go for a walk
Ask any nutritional expert and many will say that often boredom or thirst are mistaken for hunger.
And so, each time you feel like a digestive biscuit, Zoe recommends going for a short walk instead.
‘Instead of standing at the fridge door peering in and wondering what to eat, take a five-minute break outdoors to recharge your energy levels and reduce stress,’ she said.
Even just 10 minutes outside can help to give you a boost and make you more productive in your working life.
‘Instead of standing at the fridge door peering in and wondering what to eat, take a five-minute break outdoors to recharge your energy levels and reduce stress,’ Zoe (pictured) recommends
Eat a balanced lunch
In the same way that breakfast is important for fighting off food cravings, so too is lunch a great time to load up on vegetables, carbs and healthy fats.
‘It’s all too easy to skip eating in lieu of a meeting or running a few errands and while this may seem a good idea at the time, it’s likely to backfire when it comes to your diet,’ Zoe explained.
‘If we don’t prioritise our diet we are more likely to eat on the fly, make food choices which don’t make us feel good nor satisfied which can then lead to mindless grazing.’
At lunchtime, the TV chef recommends you opt for a satisfying, but balanced, lunch.
Some examples include pairing lean meats or eggs with cheese, avocado, brown rice, pasta or sweet potato.
Zoe said it’s also a good idea to seek out low starch vegetables, including tomato, cucumber, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, snow peas, asparagus and cabbage.
The TV chef (pictured) also said you should set an alarm to remind yourself to drink water regularly if you’re someone who generally doesn’t – you also need to make time for lunch
Set an alarm to drink water
While you might think you feel perfectly hydrated, in actual fact countless people only drink between one and two glasses of water a day – and often mistake thirst for hunger pangs.
‘Dehydration causes a sensation of hunger and low energy,’ Zoe explained.’We often mistake both of these signs as a need for food, when in fact it’s water we require.’
If you find you often forget to drink water, Zoe said you should set an alarm for every 30 minutes, upon which point you should take a sip of your water.
Sit your bottle down in front of you at your desk so there are no excuses not to stay hydrated.
Last but not least, if you’re going to have a snack, Zoe said you should make it something that will fill you up but also not add inches to your waistline (stock image)
Snack smart
Last but not least, if you’re going to have a snack, Zoe said the best thing you can do for your health and waistline is to step away from the office cookie jar, and enjoy something you prepared earlier at home.
Zoe is the author of the Falling In Love With Food program (pictured)
‘Having a pre-planned snack to enjoy between meals can be an effective way to cut down on mindless grazing,’ she said.
‘This is especially useful during the cooler months when you also might find yourself seeking comfort food.’
Again, protein is king – and good snack options in winter include warm fruit compote with natural yoghurt, hummus and crackers, rice cakes with tahini, avocado and tomato or warmed-up falafel.
‘All of these things will help to regulate blood sugar levels,’ Zoe concluded.
Zoe is the author of the online program Falling In Love With Food. For more information, please click here.