When to snack

Just because you always grab a granola bar and coffee at 10 a.m. doesn’t mean you should. Don’t snack because it’s part of your daily routine; do it when you’re a little bit hungry.  Use a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is starving and 10 is so full you couldn’t eat anything else.

You need a snack when you’re at a 3 or 4.

Many people won’t hit that mark until about three hours after a meal, but some will get there faster. In those cases, listen to your ‘hunger cues’ and go ahead and have a bite. 

However, if you are not truly hungry, consider holding out until your next meal. 

If you aren’t sure - take a 5-10 minute walk. It might be that all you needed was a break!