How can I stop snacking while I cook?
Snacking is a common, and diet destroying, eating behavior. That “food-to-mouth” motion is natural; you do it at least three times a day during meals. It’s when you do it while cooking that it becomes dangerous to your health and weight loss. It’s possible – and very easy – to eat an entire meal while cooking it! Eating mindlessly is the problem, realizing you have the problem is half the battle. Here’s a Q&A from “Ask Mary.”*
Question:
I have a horrible habit of snacking on the ingredients while I cook – grabbing a pinch of cheese while I grate it, stealing chocolate chips while I make cookies, things like that. I make a lot of pies and sweets for friends, and have no problem passing them up once their baked, but I can’t find a way to resist while I’m in my cooking groove! It adds up calories I can’t afford, and is almost impossible to measure.
Answer:
Some methods that people use to avoid snacking during food prep (and clean-up!) are to chew gum, sip on a low calorie beverage, have a snack before starting if hunger is an issue, and remind yourself that dinner will taste better if you don’t ruin your appetite with a snack. I saw someone wear a surgical mask to stop picking but I hope you won’t need to do that! Since it is mind over matter, psych yourself before you start by visiting the Calorie Count forums.
Dear Reader: How do you handle “grazing” and the extra calories you end up eating? Please leave us a comment.
Until next time,
Susan L Stewart
*Taken from “Ask Mary” on the site http://caloriecount.about.com
