Snack attacks!!!

Some people struggle with mindless munching late at night.  They roll out of bed and head to the fridge to snack while watching midnight infomercials about gym equipment.  I can honestly say I rarely eat after dark, it's always kind of been a rule for me personally.  Other than getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom (thanks to giving birth) I never wake up feeling hungry. 

3 o'clock in the afternoon however, is quite a different story.  Am I bored? tired? honestly have an appetite? is it hormonal? Every single day it's the same thing. It's like my stomach wakes up and says, "I'd love some cheese, crackers and ice cream please!".  Before I started on my journey to shed the weight and get healthy 3 o'clock was my zone out in front of The Food Network channel and eat any contents of the fridge or pantry...cheese, crackers, cookies and even those little fruit juice snacks that "W" likes.   Now that I am on the road to success, when I get hungry for my snack I opt for things like yogurt with nuts, berries, or low fat cheese spread and tomato slices on a whole grain cracker.  I also try to stop first and ask myself if I am really hungry or just bored and want to zone out with food.  This may sound silly to you but it has really helped me to see my bad habits and eating patterns.  I find if I drink a glass of water first and am still hungry I then proceed to indulge in a snack.  There's also the old carrot test that I learned when I was in Weight Watchers 7 year ago and that is to ask myself, am I really hungry and if I am I should be willing to eat a carrot or other veggie first that's on hand.  If I am not willing to eat a veggie then I'm probably not really hungry. 

I would love to hear what healthy snacks you eat so feel free to share them with me.  I like to have a wide variety of options not just for myself but my whole family!!!