DIY Low Calorie Snack Packs and Portion Control Tips
These low calorie packs are perfect if you’re looking for something;
a) delicious
b) healthy
c) easy
d) quick
e) cheap
f) DIY
g) all of the above!
What more could you ask for?
First, let’s go over some portion control tips;
-I like to buy little ziplock baggies and tiny circular tupperware containers to fight the ongoing portion control battle that many of us struggle with, particularly in America.
-It helps to prepare things ahead of time to ensure you’ve got an effortless healthy choice ready to go when you’re in a hurry.
-And even when you don’t have things prepared ahead of time, I encourage you to eat snacks out of containers and plastic bags, despite feeling like it’s counterproductive to put a handful of almonds in a container right before you’re going to eat them.
-You may be tempted to just grab a handful and eat them right then and there. Or maybe you trust yourself with the whole bag. If you can do that, then more power to you! But I don’t trust myself with the whole bag. I don’t even trust myself grabbing a handful. Because it makes it easier for me to convince myself that “Oh, I’m still hungry… I think that was less than a handful… I could probably grab some more” which leads to me eating double or triple more than I had originally planned, therefore I eat double or triple the amount that would constitute the size of healthy snack.
-If I count the almonds or measure the amount of smoothie or slice the exact amount of fruit or veggies I need, I am less likely to overeat because I know exactly how much I plan to eat and then exactly how much I’ve eaten.
-This is is why 100 calorie snack packs from the grocery store can be effective when struggling with portion control. But there are a few problems with many of those store bought pack that I want to be sure to highlight. They are okay every once in a while if you can limit yourself to eating one pack. They should be eaten in moderation and considered treats, not health foods, particularly because many of them are laden with sugar.
Now onto the good part. The food!
I’m featuring one of my favorite do-it-yourself low calorie snack packs in this post because this one does an excellent job of curing my chocolate cravings (which come far too frequently and in full force). So when I don’t want to fight them off I just make a compromise by satisfying them with something healthier than a Hershey’s bar or ice cream. And in this case my junk food substitute happens to be… almonds!
200 Calorie* Chocolate Toffee Almond Mix
1 ziplock bag/small round container
8 Dove Dark Chocolate Covered Roasted Almonds
10 Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Butter Toffee Almonds
*This snack pack is 200 calories because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that 1 oz. is the standard serving size of almonds. This is equivalent to one handful (about 23 nuts). Keep in mind, the almonds in this snack pack are flavored, so this is a snack that should be eaten in moderation and feel free to substitute one of both of the flavors for plain toasted or raw almonds for an even healthier choice!
