Can’t stop snacking? You might actually need to eat *more*

Over the weekend, someone said something to me that I hear all the time:

“I’m fine all day. And then the evening hits, and I just can’t stop snacking!”

It’s never said lightly. Often people feel quite a bit of shame around it - they think there’s something wrong with them, that they just don’t have enough willpower. Because on paper they’re doing everything “right”: eating well, being disciplined, avoiding “bad” foods. But at the end of the day, it all unravels. 

It’s not about willpower

When I dig into this with people, we very often land in the same place: they’re not quite eating enough for what their body actually needs.

Not always in an obvious way. Sometimes they’re eating regularly, sometimes portions look “normal”, sometimes they even feel full after meals. But something’s not quite working - and the body notices that. But what might that be? 

You’re under-fuelling earlier in the day

This is the most common one. It might be that you’re trying to “be good”. Maybe you’re eating lighter during the day to make up for evenings. Maybe skipping breakfast, or pushing lunch later. Or maybe you’re just eating a bit less than your body actually needs. 

By the time evening rolls around, your body isn’t just a bit peckish - it’s trying to catch up. That “can’t stop” feeling is just your body trying to protect itself: evidence shows that when we under-fuel, hunger hormones increase and our drive to eat ramps up, particularly later in the day.

You’re restricting certain foods

Sometimes it’s not about how much you’re eating, but what you’re not allowing. Often we deny ourselves specific food groups - with good intentions of not eating things which are bad for us. It might be carbs, or sugar, or ‘snacky foods’.

You might be eating plenty overall, but if there are foods you’ve put on a mental “no” list, they tend to get louder - especially at the end of the day, when you’re tired and your guard is lower. Evidence shows that when we deny ourselves certain foods, our bodies are more likely to crave them.

So it’s not random that you end up in the biscuits or crisps - it’s often the exact thing you’ve been trying not to eat all day.

You’re leaving it too long between eating

A really simple one, but it comes up a lot. If there are 6 or 7 hours between lunch and dinner, most bodies will struggle with that. Not because you’re “bad at managing hunger”, but because that is a long time without food. Evidence suggests our bodies do better when we eat something every 4 hours - it stabilises blood sugar, supports concentration and energy, and helps to prevent overeating. 

If you have a long window between eating, you’re likely to react by grabbing something that’s near, or easy - simply because you’re over-hungry. For some reason we’ve demonised snacking as something bad - but actually, snacking between meals is a really good way to balance your eating throughout the day. 

So what actually helps?

These feelings and behaviours are your body trying to tell you something - and the useful move here is to listen to those signals and respond to them, rather than trying to override them.

This is the part people don’t always expect: if your evenings feel chaotic, the solution is often to eat more.

More earlier in the day. More regularly. More of the foods you actually want. Not in a rigid, prescribed way - but in a responsive, experiment-with-it way.

That might look like:

• adding a proper afternoon snack (even if part of you thinks you “shouldn’t need it”)

• letting your meals be a bit more substantial and satisfying (aim for a 7 on the hunger and fullness scale)

• bringing the foods you tend to “lose control” around into your day: allow yourself to eat them - intentionally, and with enjoyment.

It can feel counterintuitive - even uncomfortable. But over time, things will feel less urgent and out of control, and more intentional and relaxed. 

Do you struggle with snacking? What do you think could be behind it?