Snacking can easily become your downfall as you strive to lose weight. A few of those and a handful of these quickly add up to hundreds of extra calories, throwing off your eating plan for the day. Yet snacking can be healthy -- if you choose the right foods and watch how much you're eating. Eating portion-controlled snacks of 100 calories or less can help control hunger throughout the day -- but know that prepackaged portions may not be all that they seem.
Convenient Portion Control
Serving yourself small snack portions amounting to 100 calories or less can help you stay on track for weight loss. When you dig into a large bag of chips, for example, you are more likely to keep eating until you've consumed well over the recommended serving size -- especially if you're just mindlessly snacking in front of the television. If you have a premeasured single portion, you are more likely to eat just that one serving, according to Mayo Clinic registered dietitians Jennifer Nelson and Katherine Zeratsky. Companies that sell 100-calorie packs of snacks offer convenience by doing the prep work for you.
Learning Portion Control
Research published in 2009 in the journal "Appetite" showed that prepackaged, calorie-controlled snacks may not only help you practice portion control, but also teach you how to make better portion choices with other foods. As you gain more understanding about what a true serving is, you may realize how big portions likely led to your weight gain. Retraining your eyes and mind is key to keeping your eating habits under control.
The Down Side to Prepackaged Snacks
Concerns, however, do exist about the calorie-controlled snack packs available at the grocery store. For one, many of these snacks are still what you would consider "junk food," such as chips, cookies and candies. They provide no real nutritional value, which will do little to combat your hunger, according to dietitian Julie Walsh in a 2006 ABC News interview on the subject. In addition, 90 to 100 calories of these types of foods is a very small portion, which may convince you that it's OK to have a second package or eat more food at later meals.
Good Snack Choices
If you do go the prepackaged snacks route, choose those with nutritional value, such as nuts. Better yet, take some time after grocery shopping to divide snacks yourself. This is not only cheaper, but will help you pay attention to portion size, which is integral to your weight-loss efforts. If you want to stick with snacks that are 90 to 100 calories, choose a cup of sliced bananas, five melba toast crackers or 2 tablespoons of peanuts, according to MayoClinic.com. The main goal is to choose snacks that are filling and provide more nutritional benefits than just being low-calorie.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Portion Control: Downsize Portions for Better Weight Control; Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.; December 2009
- Appetite; Do Calorie-controlled Portion Sizes of Snacks Reduce Energy Intake?; Nanette Stroebele, et al.; June 2009
- ABC News/Health: 100-Calorie Snack Packs: Do They Help With Weight Loss?; Christi Myers; May 2006
- MayoClinic.com: Snacks: How They Fit into Your Weight Loss Plan; May 2010
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