by Thomas Baskin

Created on: September 27, 2010   Last Updated: September 29, 2010

We all know that trying to break the habit of eating unhealthy snacks is a difficult process. That ice cream is so good. Snickers, especially the ice cream one are the best. Cakes, pies, doughnuts soooo good. Hard to pass up those mini chocolate bars in someones office dish. Let's face it, snacks are cheap and easier to get to. So just what do you do to start making better choices and how do you start?

You have to start by taking small steps to breaking an old habit. The easiest first step would be to simply reduce your intake of unhealthy snacks. Trying to eliminate them completely would be a total waste of time since your cravings would grow and eventually win out.

Next up would be to replace the sweet snacks with something more healthy but yet still sweet. Instead of a candy bar that has a lot of sugar, try a granola bar that maybe has chocolate chips and is sweetened by honey. Instead of ice cream, try frozen yogurt. Instead of drinking soda, try drinking real fruit juice. There are plenty of healthy alternatives to choose from that will still satisfy the sweet tooth.

Work can be your greatest enabler to choosing to snack on unhealthy stuff. Try not to go to work on an empty stomach. Bring your own healthy snacks. My personal favorite is trail mix with peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins and m&m’s. Also try freeze dried fruit snacks. If you have a refrigerator, you can bring in some fruit cups. Have your own little dish of healthy snacks to share with coworkers.

For most of us, the worst time we snack is when we are at home watching tv or just lounging around. Have some fruit at home that you really like to eat. Better yet get some bags of frozen fruits. They are really delicious to eat frozen and you can make some really good fruit smoothies anytime you want something sweet. Instead of grabbing for those bags of chips, grab for and pop some popcorn and enjoy a nice movie.

By making these changes when you snack, you will began to feel better about not only yourself, but your choice to commit to a healthier lifestyle. Going from unhealthy snacking to healthy snacking is not about going cold turkey. It’s about making realistic achievable progress. Hopefully over time these changes will become a staple in your everyday eating habits.

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