I’ll admit it, my snacking habit is the worst it’s ever been. I turn to disgustingly unhealthy snacks in times of severe boredom, stress, sadness, and, of course, procrastination. I actually just ate a half a bag of Goldfish, a banana, and an entire everything bagel so I could put off having to write this article on how bad my habit has gotten.

Why write when you have a pantry full of delicious food items, right?

I have a problem.

But I also know that I am not the only one with indulgent snacking tendencies.  I’ve met plenty of other compulsive snackers, perhaps not as extreme as me, but who can surely empathize with my problem.

So with Lent rolling around, I thought it was a good idea to try and cut back on all the unhealthy foods I use to fill the void of my insatiable appetite. Clearly, it hasn’t been working. However, I refuse to give up, and I have decided to come up with some strategies to help me stop snacking when I find myself lapsing into the terrible habit again. I think these are some tips every compulsive snacker can benefit from, so you’re welcome.

When reaching for the nearest bag of chips or Goldfish, tell yourself you don’t need it.  You are not hungry, you’re just *insert whatever emotion you are feeling here.*  If this works for you, then you obviously do not have a bad snacking habit because this does not work for me.

Have someone around you constantly, whether it be a family member or friend, so they can knock whatever snack you’re eating out of your hand, slap you in the face, and tell you that you have a problem. This usually does the trick for me.

If absolutely nothing is working, and you absolutely need to snack, then surround yourself with healthy foods.  Strawberry season is coming soon! Who doesn’t love strawberries? And I find that Nutella and graham crackers taste like junk food even though they’re actually pretty healthy, so that’s always an option. Pistachios are great too, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Godspeed, fellow snacking addicts.  I wish you the best of luck.  Just remember, we’re all in this together.

Caitlin Wolfarth is a Lifestyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.