3 Ways To Trick Yourself Into Becoming A Mindful Snacker

Have you ever started a movie with an overflowing bowl of popcorn, then looked down just minutes later to see an empty bowl and tons of crumbs on your shirt? (Guilty.)

Mindless snacking happens to the best of us, but the secret to overcoming it (and enjoying that popcorn instead of just shoveling it into your mouth) lies in identifying the motivation for your munchies.

“Mindless snacking can be caused by boredom, loneliness, stress, or being unprepared for hunger (reaching for an option we don’t really want because it’s easy and there),” says nutritionist and food blogger Alexandra Dawson.

Who else can relate to the I’m-bored-so-I-guess-I’ll-eat mentality? The way to beat this mindset is… well, by doing the opposite of snacking mindlessly. “Mindful eating is awareness of how food—how we eat, how much we eat, and why we feel like eating—affects our whole beings,” Dawson adds.

Before you say ‘easier said than done,’ Dawson has some great tips on how to actually incorporate the practice into your daily relationship with food. Tip number one: Dawson keeps her pantry stocked with options that don’t require effort, but still leave her feeling satisfied, like JUSTIN’S^® nut butters.

“I love adding JUSTIN’S^® Peanut Butter to smoothies (with banana, coconut meat, and cinnamon), adding a big scoop to yogurt bowls, bringing JUSTIN’S^® Almond Butter Squeeze Packs along when I’m out, and also enjoying the occasional spoonful right out of the jar,” Dawson says. And who’s not down for a snacking method that lets you eat almond butter by the spoon?