Snack Smarter: Using Structure for ADHD-Friendly Inspiration
Why Structure Helps ADHD Brains
The ADHD brain is a beautiful, contrary little beastie. Even though we're generally agents of chaos attracted to the new and novel, many of us function best with a little bit of structure. During my diagnostic journey, the psychiatrist explained that people with ADHD often gravitate towards careers that lean heavily on creativity (hello my former marketing career) or provide solid structure (like the defence forces). This insight helped me understand myself better and made me rethink how to approach everyday tasks, including food.
So, what does this have to do with eating? Well, half the time I have no idea what I want to eat. Everything feels and starting the decision-making process feels like a heavy lift. I don't know where to begin with figuring out something I want to eat. That's when I started using 'structured' inspiration. Think of it as giving yourself a task brief with some clear parameters. The first time I did this I was just aiming for a balance of the five food groups in the day. My snacks ended up being:
a specific yoghurt I was fixating on (dairy)
a boiled egg with salt (protein)
fun sized packet of chips (carbs)
sliced yellow capsicum (veg).
Later, I noticed I’d unintentionally chosen a white/yellow colour spectrum and realised I could use colour as a source of inspiration. Having a starting point made decisions easier, removed noise and turned snack time into something of a game instead of a chore.
Science Break
Turns out, there are legitimate benefits to snacking.
Protein and brain food:
From my own experience, I get far more out of my workday if I have a protein type snack like a boiled egg mid-morning. My brain just seems to work better. It also helps smooth out the afternoon peak and troughs that can be more extreme on certain ADHD medication.
Protein may also have benefits for people in perimenopause, where ADHD symptoms often intensify. Early research suggests it could make a difference:
That said, the average Aussie already gets enough protein so don't bulk-buy chicken breast like a gym bro. Rather, experiment with spacing out intake throughout the day the day instead of loading it all at dinner. Read more about the Australian guidelines on dietary protein here: betterhealth
Effort Level
Before diving into categories of inspiration, let's state the obvious: snacks need to be realistic. If cooking feels impossible, you're not going to suddenly whip up zucchini slice every Sunday. This needs to be easy.
Start simple: Single-serve, ready-to-eat options like cheese sticks, packets of chips, or yoghurt tubs are valid and necessary. You might feel guilty about the packaging waste and it's probably going to cost you extra (ADHD tax strikes again) but think of these as accommodations, much like an ankle brace for an injury.
Gradual progression: Over time, you might feel able to take one extra step like buying a block of cheese and slicing it yourself or portioning out trail mix into little containers for your handbag. My guiding principle is that there should be a maximum of one step. E.g. spooning yoghurt into tubs, slicing carrot sticks or boiling eggs. Any more than that and we're in meal prep territory.
Reminder, the goal here is to avoid feeling overwhelmed. If chopping veggies feels too hard in the moment, then that's not the right snack for you today. Also, remember food is neutral. Don't treat snacks as a diet challenge. Pick things you want to eat, not things you think you should eat.
Inspiration Frameworks for Snacks
Ok now the fun stuff. Here are some of the categories I've been using with a few examples to spark ideas. Pick a category (e.g. colour) and then eat something from each subcategory or even just focus in on one idea (e.g. choose red foods only, or aim for the whole rainbow).
1. By Colour
What’s today’s aesthetic?
Red: strawberries, cherry tomatoes, beetroot dip, raspberry lollies
Green: grapes, cucumber sticks, edamame, wasabi peas
Rainbow plate: capsicum strips, blueberries, mandarins, cheese cubes
2. By Sense or Sensation
Match snacks to sensory cravings:
Smell: cinnamon toast, butter popcorn, spicy cup noodles
Temperature: frozen grapes, hot cup-a-soup
Touch: velvety hummus, crunchy pretzels, hard boiled lollies
3. By Texture
Texture could be the dopamine hit your brain’s chasing:
Crunchy: rice cakes, carrot sticks, popcorn, crisps
Soft: banana, dried apricots, brownies
Chewy: dried mango, beef jerky
Wet: yoghurt, chia pudding, icy poles, watermelon, can of tuna
Dry: crackers, pretzels, cruskits, nuts
4. By Food Group
Love or hate the healthy eating pyramid she does offer some decent ideas:
Dairy: cheese, yoghurt
Carbs: toast, supermarket cheese and bacon rolls, bakery goodies
Fruit: berries, apple slices, mandarins
Veg: baby qukes, carrot sticks, snow peas
Protein: edamame, boiled eggs, sliced salami
5. By Taste Profile
Give your palate some flavour variety in the day:
Sweet: fruit, honey toast, tim tams
Salty: salted nuts, anything in a packet (chips, pea crisps, lentil crackers)
Bitter: dark chocolate, kale chips, walnuts
Sour: citrus, pickles, sour worms (even better if frozen)
Umami: seaweed snacks, parmesan cubes, miso soup
6. By Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Have a bit of fun with stimulating your nervous system:
Crunchy chewing: celery, carrot sticks, peckish rice crackers (sour cream - IYKYK)
Cold foods: chilled watermelon, frozen fruit, frozen yoghurt
Sour flavours: lemon wedges, pickles
7. By Vibe or Theme
Have some fun!
Childhood revisited: juice boxes, cheese sticks, le snacks, sultanas, muesli bars
Retro: dried apricots and almonds, sliced granny smith apple and cheese, finger buns
Choose a country: Japanese seaweed snacks and wasabi peas, Spanish olives and oranges
Seasonal: summer fruits, winter soups
Snacks to Support Batch Cooking
As much as batch cooking can be a bore (see earlier post), sometimes it's the only way to guarantee food is ready to eat. Variety is the key to making batch cooking work. Add snacks that have different flavours and textures to what you've prepped and it can help keep you engaged with eating something you've had 2 or 3 times before. Example: I made a veggie lasagne recipe that was way too big for one person. Adding some twiggy sticks and smoked almonds to my work lunch bag balanced it out and meant I got through all the freezer portions without waste.
In closing
A fridge full of snacks is, in my opinion, a happy fridge. I have less food waste when I've got ready to eat options on hand instead of raw ingredients waiting to be turned into a recipe.
Maybe you have a tray of things ready to go at all times on your top shelf. Maybe you find joy in making up a weeks' worth of bento boxes filled with tasty little treats. Maybe dinner is just a mix of 3-4 different snacks AKA girl dinner. Whatever your style, snacks are an uncomplicated way to keep your body fed and fuelled.
Next grocery shop, skip the overwhelm, buy a trolley load of snacks and see where it takes you.
What's your current go to snack? Share it in the comments.
