Guide to snacking

It’s official, research shows that building snacks into your day can help with weight loss and managing your hunger, but the key is making some smarter snack choices.

1. Listen to your hunger signals

The first step is listening to your hunger signals – are you snacking because you’re genuinely hungry or because you’re on autopilot? If you are genuinely hungry, then a snack is a great way to help curb your appetite in between your main meals.

2. Choose what you eat

The second step is choosing what to eat, and it pays to know the difference between a snack and a treat. A treat might be something you enjoy purely for the flavour sensation – something like your favourite biscuit or a piece of chocolate.

A snack should be healthy and filling so that it keeps you feeling fuller for longer between meals, while delivering some key nutrients at the same time. So, try to choose a snack that includes some protein and some fibre. That doesn't mean a snack can’t be tasty or delicious, but it should come with some other attributes as well as flavour. Think:

• Fresh veggie sticks with 1 tbs hummus

• 10 almonds

• 1 rye crispbread with ½ a sliced tomato and 20g of light cheddar cheese

• 1 red apple, sliced into thin wedges and spread with 1 tbs of natural peanut butter

• 1 hard-boiled egg

The main thing to remember is that while a snack can double as a treat, a treat often doesn't make the best snack. A good strategy is to be prepared, so that you always have some healthy, nutritious snacks on hand.

3. Track your snacks

The third step is tracking your snack that has a Points value on the app. If your snack is made up entirely of ZeroPoint® foods, you don’t have to track it.