Fast food and grazing

Do you enjoy fast food?

If you do enjoy fast food, first of all, try not to make a habit of it. If you do have it, make smart choices.

• Opt for small servings instead of large. Chose mustard rather than mayonnaise (which contains more fat) or ketchup (which contains more sugar).
• Have a piece of fruit, fruit salad or stewed fruit for dessert.
• Swap sugary drinks for water.
• Focus on your meal and enjoy it; sit down and put away any distractions (such as your phone and other screens).

Do you tend to snack ?

Snacking means eating between meals. It can be made worse by insubstantial meals, stress, boredom, etc. Snacking is a response to a feeling that you want to eat when you are not actually hungry. When you snack, your stomach is working constantly. As a result, it may no longer recognise " true " hunger.

To prevent snacking throughout the day, we recommend that you stick to the pattern of 3 meals per day, and try to have them at set times. You can add 1 snack, if you are hungry mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

Don't forget to include cereals or potatoes at your three meals. They provide energy, make you feel fuller, and help you hold out until the next meal.

If you are peckish between meals, have a piece of fruit.

If you're still hungry, have 1 or 2 slices of bread and butter instead of biscuits, pastries, crisps, etc.  

Do you have a sweet tooth ?

There's no need to make yourself feel guilty.

Here are some tips to help you consume less sugar :

• If you want something sweet, eat sugary food instead of drinking sugary drinks.
• Fruit is a good alternative: it's naturally sweet and also contains vitamins. You can eat it fresh, cooked, whole or stewed without sugar.
• As for sugary drinks, swap them for herb- and fruit-infused water. Fruit juice generally contains a lot of sugar too.
• You can sweeten yoghurt or fromage frais by adding diced fresh fruit or stewed fruit.
• Make water your favourite drink.
• Keep sweet things as a treat for after a meal.

Managing cravings 

Step 1 : if you have a chocolate craving:

• Wait a while to see if the urge passes.
• Sometimes the reason you feel like eating chocolate is an external factor such as an advert you have seen.
• Try to understand why you want to eat chocolate - there can be lots of reasons : hunger, thirst, frustration, emotion, feeling of rejection, anxiety, nervousness, sadness, stress, etc.
• Ask yourself if it's really necessary, e.g. half an hour before a mealtime.

Step 2 : If you really do want to eat something after 15 minutes :

• Choose your favourite chocolate.
• Choose the right moment to eat it : mindfully and not in front of a screen, while you are walking or just before a meal.
• Enjoy your treat without feeling guilty.

Step 3 : If you do end up eating something sweet :

• Don't feel guilty.
• Eat mindfully and enjoy it.
• Try to keep control of the quantity and try not to eat an entire packet (compulsively, in front of the TV, computer, etc.).
• Decide how much you want to have before you start eating.
• Have it as a "meal"; don't just snack .

Useful information :

Pastries, desserts and cakes are very high in calories, as they contain not only sugars but also fats.