Do you find yourself craving comfort foods, especially sweet treats such as puddings, desserts and hot chocolate, in the colder winter months? While there’s no need to deprive yourself completely of enjoyable foods, you need a smart strategy to get through winter without any unwanted baggage. Here are some tips:
Control those portions
Sorry to have to be the one to break the news, but there is more than one serve in a pack of Tim Tams! Research has revealed that the portion or size of a package of food is a factor in how much damage you do when succumbing to that craving. Dr Barbara Rolls, a US nutrition researcher based at Pennsylvania State University, has widely studied this finding. In one study, participants were asked to pour out how many M&Ms they would eat while watching a movie. Those in the study selected about twice as much from a jumbo pack as from a small pack, resulting in a 1000-kilojoule difference in their intakes.
The best approach is to go for individually packaged, portion-controlled sweet treats or diet desserts. Even though larger packs can be more economical, research has revealed that you may end up eating 40-50 percent more. If you prefer to buy large packs, dispense them into smaller portions when you get home.
Portion-packed choccy choices:
Kit Kat 2 wafers (435kJ); Caramello Koala (410kJ); Bounty Fun Size (385kJ); Cadbury Freddo Frog (264kJ).
Make-it-last sweet treats:
Chupa Chup or Tic Tacs to suck slowly; or a Hot Jarrah Choc O Lait Drink to sip and sip and sip.
Delicious diet desserts:
Nestle Diet Creme Caramel (315kJ); Nestle Diet Trifle Flavoured Custard (278kJ); Weight Watchers Lemon Sponge Pudding (629kJ); Weight Watchers Divine Vanilla Ice Cream Cones (575kJ).
Hide them away
Research published in the June 2005 edition of Appetite journal investigated the old saying ‘out of sight, out of mind’ when it comes to food cues and cravings. Food cues include aromas like the wafting smell of freshly baked bread or catching a glimpse of that huge chocolate Magnum ice-cream on a bus ad. The results of the research confirmed that exposure to food cues reliably elicited strong cravings. Find a pantry hideaway for all your sweet treats to ensure they’re not staring at you every time you open the door — and when you bake a dessert for the family, make just enough for a sensible portion for all with no leftovers!
Keep moving
As well as a little more comfort eating, the winter kilo creep is also due to a general drop in physical activity. If you want to bake your pud and eat it too, you need to keep moving. Instead of facing a cold, wet, dark morning walk, move it indoors and invest in a gym membership, fitness DVDs, a treadmill or classes at your local pool.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
