Breaking the Snacking Habit... How to make food last longer

I just 200 dollars of food just this week and all of it almost gone due to snacking !

If I stocked up on food for a month, it would be gone due to the munchies in a week to two week period!

I'm thinking of just buying the basic ingredients (rice, flour, beans, etc.) to make what I want (like soft taco shells, bread, whatever) but if you want to eat something, you going to make it, so it won't be consumed as fast, but I don't really know.



What could I do to break my household (including me) of this habit?

[edit on 27-4-2008 by Ihavenoidea]

[edit: title - Snacking]

[edit on 2-5-2008 by 12m8keall2c]

reply to post by Ihavenoidea


LOL! Sorry I don't ususally pick on anyone for bad spelling, but I saw your post on breaking the 'snaking' habit and had to click in, I wondered what a 'snaking habit' was, I thought I was gonna come upon some weird snake cult or something like that!


Now that I have read your opening post my next question is what in the world are you snaking on? Buy you some apples or pretzels, they last and are healthy!

[edit on 27-4-2008 by space cadet]

The fact you need to ask about this and can't take responsibility for yourself and simple will power, is a very sad statement. You sound like a typical, uneducated, gluttony driven, obese American. Is it any wonder the world hates U.S.?

Sorry... just call it as I see it.

[edit on 4/27/2008 by RabbitChaser]

There are a few methods...drinking water instead of eating to fool your stomach into feeling full, chewing on something like gum, or if you're post-x and don't have any try an elastic band or sucking on a button...

First off, Stop buying snacks. You should probably sit down and with pen and paper, plan out your meals for the week, and try to eat healthy of course. If for some reason you can't live with 3 squares a day just try and pick healthy snacks that are somewhat filling.

Try smoking, I hear that really curbs the hunger pains. In a SHTF scenerio cancer will be the least of your worries.

Originally posted by RabbitChaser
The fact you need to ask about this and can't take responsibility for yourself and simple will power, is a very sad statement. You sound like a typical, uneducated, gluttony driven, obese American. Is it any wonder the world hates U.S.?

Sorry... just call it as I see it.

This is pathetic. Can you please explain how this actually contributes to the thread? Before you post, you should consider thinking about if you're contributing to the thread or just seeking to get a rise out of the poster so you can argue.

To the OP...
You're on the right track with your first post. The best way to stop this habit is to take away the easy snack foods. For example, don't buy frozen pizzas. Keep flour, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on hand. This way, you have to take the time to make dough, let it rise, and cook it before you can eat it. The end result is a better tasting pizza, a healthier pizza, a cheaper pizza, and one that isn't an impulse eat. We recently went this route with almost all food and I tend to eat 3 squares a day instead of junk now.

Another thing to consider is that you may be eating just because you're bored. In a survival situation there are going to be plenty of things to keep your mind off of a grumbling belly.

The 'snacking habit' is not such a bad thing actually.
The only thing you have to make sure of is that you're not just blowing out on empty calories(sugar).

Eating small amounts and often(seven times a day even) is great for keeping your blood sugar even..so no drops in energy and concentration.. It also helps you stop loading up on physically large meals..

This is a big no-no.. stretches your stomach,makes you feel lethargic,makes you feel more hungry between meals and plays havoc with your blood sugar level.

I just replaced all the sugary stuff with Billtong(beef Jerky).. Low fat..it's something hard to chew on for when you're desperate enough to eat the neighbours cat....high in protein.. and gets you used to the kind of quality meat we'll all have to live off when the food shortages hit

DON'T DRINK 'DIET' BEVERAGES EITHER..

I've made this mistake before too.. it REALLY increases your taste for rubbishy sugar laden snacks..

If you can get through the first two weeks following this habit, I promise you'll get out of the sugary cravings and you may even be down a pound or two.
Best of luck.. it's not easy but so worth it..

I agree, once you start a long term food storage program your tastes will change and you will not only begin saving money from your total food bill you will be eating more healthy. Just look at the expiration dates. If it won't last longer than 2 years don't buy it. The previuous poster is correct if you want pizza or cookies make them from scratch they will taste much better, be more healthy and having to prepare meals from scratch will really prohibit you from snacking through out the day. I typically eat no breakfast a very light lunch and a hearty dinnner and I am rarely hungary except for when I am working very hard doing manual type labor.

Originally posted by RabbitChaser
The fact you need to ask about this and can't take responsibility for yourself and simple will power, is a very sad statement.

Thanks for the input, however I noticed a problem and asking for ideas.

Already taking the steps well before I started posting here online.

Originally posted by RabbitChaser
You sound like a typical, uneducated, gluttony driven, obese American. Is it any wonder the world hates U.S.?

Sorry... just call it as I see it.

Okay, I posted this here for ideas on what other people do to get other people in their household who are unwilling to change eating habits, not comments about nationality...
which is completely off topic, opinionated, and from your post, you seem like a stereotypical prejudicial troll looking for a flame war.

Not going to happen.

Please look in the mirror before you post next time.

I don't think just Americans have this problem being uneducated, obese glutton driven slaves who don't have the simple will power or responsibility to have self-control on what they do or say either....

Your post proves this..

Sorry that's just the way I see it...

[edit on 29-4-2008 by Ihavenoidea]

reply to post by BlueTriangle



I think that boredom is the cause.

Thanks for a great reply...

reply to post by AGENT_T


Soda (or pop) isn't a problem.

I read about this awhile back in a backpacking book..

Thanks though..

Totally with you on the 'Boredom' issue.. same here.

Unfortunately,modern life has taken away the necessity of physical exertion for most people.
Making that initial effort to start gym after a long lay off is so blummin tough too.

BUT.. .. the good news is..
In a survival situation,you realise that most of your time will be taken up with foraging for your food anyway.
Supplies will only last so long if you are without refrigeration,so a daily routine of finding fresh foods. water/meat/plants/fungi will burn a lot of calories.

What is in your direct location regarding surroundings/stocks/shelter/farming?
Remember to keep up with the 'dummy runs'.
When possible I just up and go with the tent and the backpack.
There's nothing like dry runs to break in the gear/practise newly acquired knowledge and get rid of the fear of the unknown.It's a killer..

The last thing you want to do is panic when the last tangy salsa chicken sandwich is gone.

Pay no attention to rabbitchaser. I think he or she must be having a bad day.
Your post regarding snacking and the desire to use your food & money mre effeciently is a good topic for discussion here. I still have 4 kids at home ranging from 20 years old to 4 years old and have been looking for ways to live a more frugal life.

For starters, I cut out almost all processed snacks, we replaced them with trail mix type snacks. The kids like them. They have a long shelf life and are generally more nutritious. My wife and I also prepare a weekly menu and stick to it religiously. This has cut down on the impuls buying at the store.

I use to spend at least $40.00 a week just on my own breakfast & lunch.
Now I pack a lunch, or drink some home brewed Konbucha tea. This has helped out a lot.

We buy bulk items, like lentils, rice, flour...ect. We also stock up on canned foods when they are on sale.

Our family of 6 used to spend about $220.00 on food. Now we are down to $100 to $150.00 a week. and still looking for ways to cut more.

Snack on organic fruit - and as much as you like. If it gets boring try blending it into smoothies with bananas, passionfruit, mangoes etc. Follow up with some nuts & seeds. Can't go wrong.

organic fruit is going to be more expensive and if you eat a lot of fruit (and your system isn't used to it), you'll get the runs - especially if it's things like dried fruit....

besides, it sounds like you need to get some info on nutrition and work out meals that fit the nutrition guidelines. eg 2 pieces of fruit a day and 5 serves of vegetables - where each serve of veg = 1/2 cup. Learn what foods are low GI as they'll keep you feeling fuller for longer. Also ensure you get enough lean protein - it keeps the hunger pangs at bay. And remember protein can be in the form of beans/tofu/eggs/dairy as well as meat/fish. Start with allowing 3 meals a day and 2 snacks, just sit down and work out a weekly menu. Shop to your menu - allowing some flexibility for seeing meat/veg on sale on the day you go shopping but generally sticking to your list and do not put junk snack foods in your trolley!

healthy snack ideas - your daily fruit allowance, a small handful of unsalted nuts/seeds (note the emphasis is on small handful), those single serve tins of tuna on crackers, small amount of cheese, (couple of slices), pretzels, air-popped popcorn, hardboiled egg, small tub of low fat fruit yoghurt, protein shake made up in a blender with some fruit like strawberries, dips & veg sticks/crackers/flatbread - eg dips like hommos, tzatkiki, beetroot, baba ganoush. Learn how to make these dips - they are all very easy and cheaper to make from scratch. A small bowl of home made soup is another snack idea. Again, soup is easy to make from scratch.

Also, work out why you're snacking so much. Is it boredom or some emotional reason - like stress, depression etc? Insufficient nutritional quality of your meals - making you hungry later, or just bad habits?

Originally posted by Sparky63
I use to spend at least $40.00 a week just on my own breakfast & lunch.
Now I pack a lunch, or drink some home brewed Konbucha tea. This has helped out a lot.

I hear you on this one. A few months ago my wife and I decided we were going to try to budget and cut our spending. The first thing we did was keep the same habits and just collect receipts for an entire month just to see where the money was going. I was completely surprised by the money I was spending on breakfast snacks/drinks before work and going out for lunch. It was in the area of $300 a month. It's great advice to pack breakfast/lunch for work.

Originally posted by Sparky63
Our family of 6 used to spend about $220.00 on food. Now we are down to $100 to $150.00 a week. and still looking for ways to cut more.

We are currently budgeted for $100 a week but I can usually get by on $80. I stash the extra $20 so we can eat out a couple of times a month. This is for a family of 4 with a 5 yr. old and a 6 yr. old. The main things we did to cut costs is to stop buying snack foods as I mentioned above. It's much cheaper to buy staples to make anything you want than to buy a complete product. In my pizza example above, I can make a homemade pizza from scratch for about $1.50. We now do most of our shopping at Aldi's which makes $80 go a LONG way.

I'm no survivalist by any means, and the thought of having to "bug out" with an immediate family of 6 and taking responsibility for all the extended family is not something I would relesh. I am certainly not even close to being prepared to do that.

While I may not be prepered for the worst case scenario I think I can successfully plan for the "lean" times that may lead up to that situation.

Having expendable cash I think is a necessity. The more I can put back into the emergency fund now, the better.

We live in Central Florida and went through 4 hurricanes in a row a few years ago. After one of them we were without power for almost 3 weeks. No generator.

Fortunately, I had my grill and two full tanks of propane. The stores had no ice, so we cooked all the meat that was in the freezer & refrigerator. I had 2 of those 12v coolers that plug into the cigarette lighter of the car. These were indespensible.

I had a full pantry of canned foods, so we had plenty to eat.
We had food, shelter & clothing covered.

The first thing I needed to do after the hurricane was to take down the hurricane panels that covered the windows. The heat was unbearable in the house with no air flow & no Air conditioning. The battery in my cordless drill was dead. fortunately we also had a couple of those DC to AC inverters you can use in your vehicle. This was also great for charging up the batteries in my cordless drill.

I now have a hurricane closet stocked with all things we would need if such a situation happens again. As long as my hurricane closet doesn't blow away, we will be somewhat prepared.



[edit on 2-5-2008 by Sparky63]