Are you a snacker? If you're like most people, your midafternoon snack is mostly likely chips from the vending machine.
Half an hour later, you're munching pretzels.
If instead you ate foods that you associate with meals, like a hard-boiled egg or a small salas -- you'd feel full longer.
A recent study at State University of New York, Buffalo, found that undergrads who labeled mid-afternoon treats as "snacks" ate 87 percent more at
dinner than those who ate identical 2:30 p.m. foods but classified them as "meals."
What does this mean to you? If you choose items that you think of as meals - real food, rather than treats - you're more likely satisfy your appetite.
Here's how to do it.
Choose a 150-calorie mini-meal if you normally eat three substantial meals and two snacks every day; the 250-calorie options are for those who
usually spread their daily calories over five or six small meals.
150-Calorie Mini-Meals
Instead of: 6 oz fat-free fruited yogurt
Eat this meal: ½ small whole wheat pita, 2 thin slices turkey breast (or vegetarian sausage), sliced tomato, cucumber and mustard
Instead of: 1 oz pretzels, ½ c grapes
Eat this meal: ½ whole wheat English muffin, 1 oz reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, green bell pepper, tomato slices
250-Calorie Mini-Meals
Instead of: Energy or breakfast bar
Eat this meal: 1 slice whole wheat toast, 1 scrambled egg (or tofu), 2 slices turkey bacon (or vegetarian fakin bacon)
Instead of: Trail mix with chocolate chips, cashews, dried fruit
Eat this meal: Whole wheat tortilla, slice of avocado, 2 slices chicken breast (or vegetarian sandwich slices), tomato, lettuce, 1 Tbsp salsa
Emergency Snacks
If you really want to snack, and you just can't stop yourself, it may be possible to trick yourself into eating less. People tend to eat the same
number of food portions, no matter what the portion size, according to a study published in Psychological Science. Researchers offered
participants a snack in two sizes: one small or one large Tootsie Roll, one small or one large scoop of M&M's, or one whole or one half-sized pretzel.
Regardless of which serving size subjects chose, they ate the same number of portions -- so the smaller-portion eaters ate less overall.
To make this work for you, just choose smaller snack sizes and pay attention to the number of servings per container.
Other Healthy Tricks
You can never had enough healthy tricks to help melt those pounds off naturally and easily. Here's some other things that can help:
Eat More Low-density Foods
Here’s a trick that will allow you to eat the same amount of food, feel just as full, but absorb fewer calories. The scientific fact behind
this is food density - the amount of calories a food has per portion. Low-density foods, like fruits and vegetables, are bulky and filling,
but they don’t carry a lot of calories. High-density foods, on the other hand, have a ton of calories crammed into small servings, mainly because
they are loaded with fats and sugars.
To see the difference, try substituting the same amount of a low-density food for a high-density food, such as 3 ounces of straw-berries for 3 ounces
of potato chips. You’ll find you feel just as satisfied with the fruit, probably even more so. On top of that, you’ll have saved yourself hundreds
of calories.
Your goal is to eat more low-density foods such as produce, whole grains, and legumes, and cut down on fatty, sugary foods.
Remember that even low-fat or fat-free snacks can be high-density because of their tremendous sugar content.
Fluff Up Your Food
A study at Pennsylvania State University found foods filled with air could help you eat less.
In the study, 28 men drank one of three different kinds of milkshakes before lunch. All three milkshakes had the same ingredients, but some were
blended longer to add air and volume. The men who drank the airy shakes ate 12 percent fewer calories at lunch. And they did not make up for it
by eating more at dinner, meaning they kept those calories off.
So if you must snack, trick your senses by filling up on an air-filled treat like low-fat frozen yogurt or butter-free popcorn.
Ditch High-calorie Drinks and Fruit Juices
You’ve heard of a beer belly, but how about a soda or juice belly? Experts say you can put on pounds without realizing it by drinking
high-calorie beverages. Your body doesn’t seem to register the drinks because they go right through you. So you take in hundreds of empty calories,
and your stomach is still hungry for more. Do yourself a favor, and replace most of your high-calorie drinks with low or no calorie ones like tea
and water. You’ll quench your thirst and save some pounds.
By Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D.
