5 Must-Read Tips That Will Make You Snack Smarter

Many people underestimate the effect snacking can have on our calorie intake. Whether you?re catching up with friends over lunch or just peckish, it can quickly snowball out of control without you realizing. This is because of many hidden factors we don?t think about such as the size of our plate, what time we decide to snack and what we?re watching whilst eating. So is there anything we can do to stop this from happening? Below, we list five must-read tips that are guaranteed to avoid your diet from derailing:

1.???? Try To Get Some Sleep

Studies have shown that people who sleep less often each night tend to eat more. They found that men who only got four hours kip ate 263 calories more when sleep-deprived. Researchers have put this down to the fact that we struggle to resist the temptations of high-fat foods on short sleep compared to full sleep.

2.???? Start With a Small Portion

It sounds so simple and yet it can be really effective ? starting with a smaller portion?usually ends up fulfilling your hunger or appetite. Researchers found out in one study that people who were offered 195 calorie portions of apple pie, chocolate and chips, recorded the same hunger levels right after eating as people who were offered 1370 calorie portions of the same foods.

3.???? Don?t Eat While Watching Action Films

Researchers have found that action-packed entertainment TV shows can actually effect the amount of food we put in our mouths. One study showed that people ate, on average, 354 calories when watching an action movie compared to just 21 when not. Experts believe this is because our attention is taken away from food and we end up mindlessly eating throughout the program.

4.???? Eat Out Of a Smaller Bowl

A pretty self-explanatory tip here ? eating out of a smaller bowl will make you serve up less food therefore fewer calories consumed. However there is a technical term for it called the ?Delboeuf illusion?, which is where our brains are tricked into thinking a circle is smaller if there?s more white space visible.

5.???? Use a Bigger

One study showed that people who ate from a full plate with a big fork (20 percent larger than the standard restaurant size) left more food compared to people who ate with small forks. Researchers believe this is because when people use smaller cutlery, it feels like they?re making small progress in their meal.