Never go hangry again.

Have you ever been hangry?  I’m sure you have.  Y’know those times when you’re ravenously hungry and your growling tummy is making you crabby and snappish?  That’s what hangry looks like.

I can think of so many times where my hangry mood has caused me to say or do something that I’ve regretted.  Snapping at my boyfriend because he was spending too long in the comic book store when all I wanted to do was run down to the 7-11 for a Mars Bar.  Angrily muttering under my breath when a person in front of me at the cafe takes forever to order and I’m flippin’ starving.  There are more, but I’m getting a bit ragey just thinking about it.

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So how can you avoid getting hangry in the first place?  I’ve got a few suggestions…

Don’t skip breakfast

Skipping any meal is a recipe for a hangry-attack, but breakfast is particularly important.  After a night of sleeping, your body needs food to fuel it and kick-start your metabolism.  Eating a decent breakfast puts fuel in the tank for the rest of the day and helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable.  If you skip breakfast, you’re more likely to feel groggy in the morning and your energy levels will be lower throughout the day.  You’re more likely to get crabby if you don’t eat breakfast.

Breakfast doesn’t have to be a lavish affair.  A few slices of toast, a bowl of cereal, some yogurt or some fruit are all fine.  Just make sure that you eat something at the beginning of the day, preferably within a half-hour of waking.

Add protein to each meal

Protein will help you feel full for longer.  So it makes sense to add a little bit of protein to each meal to help to regulate your appetite throughout the day.  Protein comes in many forms: meat, dairy, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds.  Including a serve of protein with each meal will help you to feel satisfied for longer.

Carry snacks with you

I tend to get hangry most often when I’m out and about, and don’t have ready access to food.  Shopping trips, car rides and other outings usually combine stress and hunger and have the potential to turn you into a cranky-pants.

To circumvent this problem, start carrying snacks with you in your bag.  There are so many different portable snacks that you can throw into your bag for when you need something RIGHT NOW to nibble on.  Packages of dried fruit and nuts, trail mix, muesli bars and crackers are all good options.

Try to eat less sugar

Sugar tends to be the culprit for a lot of hangry moods.  When you eat foods that have a lot of sugar in them, your blood sugar levels tend to spike and then drop rapidly, leaving you feeling tired, crabby and starving.  Instead of relying on sugary foods for energy, try munching on low GI foods, which will release their energy slowly and help to keep your blood sugar, and your mood, on a more even keel.

Do you ever get hangry?  How do you avoid those ravenous rages?

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.