I had a discovery call with a potential client this morning and she was telling me that she’s struggling with mindless snacking every afternoon. She didn’t understand why she can’t seem to cut it off because she felt she *shouldn’t* be hungry after her lunch of a big salad.
I asked her what she gets in her salad and she told me she goes to Sweetgreen and gets:
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spinach
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cucumber
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beets
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carrot
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tomato
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chicken
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pesto vinaigrette
I proceeded to show her why her lunch probable has a lot to do with why she’s snacking in the afternoon.
Take A Look With Me
Using the nutrition facts from the Sweetgreen website, I entered her salad into MyFitnessPal and here’s what I got:
Even though the salad feels big (high volume), it only comes to:
250 calories, 8g fat, 12g carbs, 3g fiber and 24g protein
It’s no surprise that she’s hungry after lunch! She’s getting only 250 calories and very little fat and carbs (not super high protein either.
There’s likely also an element of habit with the snacking (she always snacks in the afternoon so it’s conditioned) but her lunch needs a major overhaul.
The easiest suggestion to balance this out is to get double chicken, add sweet potatoes and add chickpeas.
Let’s See How It Looks Now
Those small tweaks gives us a much more balanced salad with
470 calories, 13g fat, 32g carbs, 5g fiber and 48g protein!
This is why a core principle of my work with clients is teaching gentle calorie and macronutrient awareness.
Without some kind of understanding of your body’s needs, how can you know if you’re fueling properly?
Undereating is a major trigger for bingeing and often it’s not on purpose. People are just so freaking confused about what they should be eating because no one’s taken the time to TEACH them.
And they’re so scared to add up their salad because diEt CuLtUrE but meanwhile, they’re still completely stuck in a terrible cycle
So many people need to actively RELEARN how to eat.
It’s what I do every single day with my clients and these are often people who have worked with other professionals in the past but still have no idea about their bodies’ own needs!
It’s my mission as a RD to be both a teacher and a coach. I’m here to both educate and motivate you towards becoming your healthiest self physically AND mentally.
I’m the type of person who NEEDS to know WHY I’m being asked to do something and my clients are the same way which is why it’s magical when we pair up!
I hope this little demo was helpful and if you’re struggling with afternoon snacking, see what happens if you optimize your lunch!
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