National Post (National Edition)
Can't stop, won't stop snacking
IS BOREDOM-BINGE YOUR CRUTCH THROUGH PANDEMIC? YOU'RE NOT ALONE
It's hard to resist grazing when there's little else to do. Some estimates are that we snacked 34-per-cent more in the first lockdown, and that has risen to 53 per cent this time.
It's something experts attribute to months of restrictions, with the comfort eating of those strange early days replaced by something closer to monotony.
“Comfort snacking is using food to self-soothe when we feel anxious or overwhelmed,” says U.K. psychologist Christy Fergusson. “But the boredom snacking of this lockdown is more of a mindless activity when we're fed up and want something to do.”
Alex White, nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, agrees tedium is playing a big part in our growing snack habit.
“This unprecedented time has led to a number of additional challenges, including stress and boredom, with spending so much more time at home,” says White. “Research suggests we're likely to eat more and make more unhealthy choices when bored, and graze on unhealthier snacks.”
More problematically, four in 10 say they're exercising less than during the first lockdown.
According to Fergusson, working from home is a huge part of the boredom-eating problem. “Pre-pandemic, we'd often adopt good habits during the week and then at weekends they'd fall by the wayside a bit,” she says. “But now we're at home and that structure has gone. The darker nights and wetter weather has made it much harder, as there are fewer pleasurable activities to do. So we feel bored and turn to food to mindlessly distract us.”
The snacks we crave are quick-fix: high sugar, high carb, high salt and bad for you. “Especially now we're in winter, with little sunlight, our levels of serotonin — the happy hormone — have dropped and these types of foods give us an immediate boost of blood sugar, which makes us feel momentarily happy. But then our sugar levels crash soon after. It's a vicious cycle,” says Fergusson.
The best way to keep boredom grazing in check is to recognize that emotional eating has its place, especially in these tough times. “Food has this wonderful physiological impact and gives us this momentary release,” she says. “That's why we turn to it when there's nothing else to distract us. And it's OK to have this emotional attachment and pleasure component to food.”
But it's essential we give our bodies healthy building blocks.
Human beings are creatures of habit in normal times but the pandemic life of walk, eat, shop, work, repeat has carved our schedules into stone, where bad habits can fester and thrive.
“To set up your body for success and prevent boredom eating, eat every three to four hours and load up on protein at every meal, such as eggs, fish and meat, to make you fuller and keep your blood sugar steady, so you're less hungry when you're bored,” says Fergusson.
“Ask yourself which are the most problematic times of the day? Often there's an afternoon dip. Or is it in the evening when you're watching TV? Look out for your routine pitfalls then change things, so you're making an effort to snack less or differently at those times.”
Plating up your snacks is a good place to start. “Put a handful of crisps (potato chips) in a bowl, rather than taking the whole bag, so you know when to stop,” Fergusson says. “Instead of highly processed sugary chocolate bars, buy dark chocolate which is rich and will give you that fix after a couple of chunks, or dairy-free health bars, Medjool dates, olives or nut butter spreads on crackers. They won't trigger that sugar-crash-sugar cycle.”
Suzie Sawyer, a clinical nutritionist at Alive! suggests stocking up on Brazil nuts, oats, turkey slices and bananas, all of which contain tryptophan, which stimulates serotonin production.
“Leave all the healthy snacks out on the side or at the front of the fridge so they're there, right in your eye line, when boredom strikes,” she adds.
Adopting a more mindful way of eating can also reduce your instinct to open the fridge when bored. “When you're eating your main meals, try to enjoy each mouthful of food, putting your knife and fork down while you're chewing,” suggests Sawyer. “This will make you feel fuller and less likely to want to snack.”
She also recommends making your own muesli bars, using xylitol instead of sugar, as “anything homemade will usually be healthier.”
It's also important to focus on high-protein foods and limit the variety of snacks.
“If you feel you need treats, try just having one type in the house at any one time,” says White.
“And if you're only eating out of boredom, try doing something else at that time like going for a walk or doing some exercise.”