After lunch but before dinner munchies

Hi! I just wondered if anyone else had a similar problem.. I work with kids so I eat breakfast before they come to school, lunch during a break (anywhere between 11 and 1). Then I leave work @ 3:30 but somewhere in those 15 minutes of driving I get hungry-but not the I haven't eatten all day hunger, but it's been a few hours by that point. I just wanted some opinions on a filling snack I could have before dinner.. I aim for dinner with my boyfriend around 5. This is my hardest time to control myself and when I do snack it's (I feel) is empty calories because it's there. Any ideas that have worked for you I would love to hear :). Thanks a bunch, have a great weekend!!

almonds are magic.  they actually trigger the release of a neurotransmitter that signals satiety.  i often eat 6, then go for a long walk before dinner.

edit: skim milk is great, too.  that's my after-dinner, before-bed snack.  keeps me away from the cheese and crackers.

I like to grab a nutri grain bar (140 calories)  for a snack or fat-free yogart cup(100 calories)!  They are yummy and should get you through the two hours before dinner!

Yes, bring some of those items to work for your drive home! 

I recommend carrot sticks

healthy bars like a luna bar

apples are good for some people, for me I feel so hungry after I eat them :)

If you can bring a snack to work for the drive home, you'll do great!

 

I eat carrot sticks with light ranch, an apple with 1/2 tbsp peanut butter (like a pp, just apples makes me hungry, blood sugar thing I'm sure.)  I'll also eat yogurt, but I look for low sugar varieties.  I have hypoglycemia issues though.

Good luck!

bananas fill me up a TON!

String cheese is really filling too!

I like baby carrots with a little salt sprinkled over them - salty/crunchy - my favorite.

I also like cherry tomatoes.  Basically all raw veggies are great to crunch on when you have the munchies.  I usually have a bowl of raw veggies beside me while I am cooking dinner.  That is when I am hungriest and I found that I can pack in the calories just by "tasting" everything I am cooking.

Are you drinking enough water every day? I like to keep a big bottle of water with me at all times and drink from it throughout the day. It'll help keep you from snacking. Because it doesn't sound like you're actually hungry.

If you are actually hungry at 3:30, then think about switching up your meal schedule. Eat a smaller lunch and dinner and add snacks to your day at 3:30, and any other times you seem to get hungry.

I have a simular schedule to yours and usually I am starving after work but since changing my diet I have been pretty good.

I eat fiber one and skim milk for breakfast. THis usually holds me until 10:30 and I eat fruit or a Kashi  Granola Bar. These bars are only 140 calories but they have 7 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. I usually eat around a 350 calorie(lean beef and veggies)  lunch and if I have a cup of coffee around 1:00 when I eat lunch I can make it to dinner at 6:00.

I get this problem alot to because of the way my work shift goes. i find eating an orange is great, because oranges have fiber and it really helps to fill you up, and they are good for you too. or a cup of green tea warms up my tummy ha ha.

There was just a study published on this last week.  They said to eat a high protein snack between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm.  A 1/2 cup of no-fat cottage cheese, or 2 slices of oven roasted turkey breast, and almonds are good - but a little higher in fat so if you're following weight watchers not a good choice.  Or try a low-fat no sugar yogurt.

Cottage cheese gets my vote.  :)  They sell it now in individual servings.  I eat one when I get home from work right away.  That's my danger time when I'm foraging for snacks.  It'll hold me for an hour or two till I get dinner on the table.

Hey guys thanks for all your answers, I bought some of ur suggestions to try. I'm glad I'm not the only one!! :)

Another thing you might consider is altering your lunch so that you are eating foods that have more staying power and maintain your blood sugar levels longer into the day.  Processed grains, starches and sugars will make their way through your digestive system much faster, spiking your blood sugar level quickly after dining, and crashing it down afterwards.  Eating foods higher in complex carbohydrates, protein and a little bit of fat will move through your digestive system much slower and level out your blood sugar level throughout the afternoon.... making it easier for you to avoid having to have a mid-afternoon snack altogether.

I experience this same difficulty, as I also work with kids.  I plan an after-school snack every day that usually includes some kind of vegetables (pepper or cucumber slices), sometimes hummus, and Special K protein water.  I usually aim for the snack to be about 100 calories, and find that it helps me make it to dinner and not overeat at dinner time.  Best of luck!

For myself, a few almonds (4 or 5) OR  a low fat cheese stick - like a string cheese.  When I mix that with a big glass of water...  I'm good to go! Hope it helps :-)