Is a box of plastic sandwich bags all you need to easily shave 120 calories from each day? Research suggests it may be so.
As long as you use those bags to divide up your snacks -- be they nuts, pretzels, crackers, or popcorn -- into small servings. About 100 calories per bag. In a recent study, people whose snacks came prepackaged in low-calorie portions ate about 120 fewer calories each day compared with folks who munched from larger packages.
Mini-Snack Strategy
More and more research has shown that when people are presented with large servings of food, they typically don't know when to say when. The larger the serving size offered, the more people tend to eat, going so far as to completely empty an overloaded plate or jumbo snack bag even though they'd feel satisfied with a smaller portion. So when you make an effort to eat less and slim down, keep in mind that it really starts with your serving spoon, not your dinner fork.
Don't Supersize Me
Divvying up snacks into little bags is one strategy for controlling the munchies. You could also make it a habit of serving yourself snacks in a small bowl or on a plate rather than eating from the bag or the box. Measure out a reasonable portion, and leave the package or container in the kitchen. For chocolates, cookies, or candies, stick them in the freezer and thaw only one portion at a time. Better yet, you can put together a week's worth of your own healthful, homemade 100-calorie snacks.
