Trick Yourself Into Weight Loss

Use mini-meals to curb your appetite

By Gloria McVeigh , Gloria McVeigh is the Prevention Nutrition News Editor.

(Aug. 4, 2006) -- Midafternoon, you have chips from the vending machine. Half an hour later, you're munching pretzels. If instead you ate foods that you associate with meals--a hard-boiled egg, or a turkey-and-cheese roll-up--you'd feel full longer and be more inclined toward weight loss, say scientists from the State University of New York, Buffalo.

Their study found that undergrads who labeled midafternoon treats as "snacks" ate 87% more at dinner than those who ate identical 2:30 pm foods but classified them as "meals." If you choose items that you think of as meals--real foods, rather than treats--they'll more likely satisfy your appetite, and that can translate into weight loss, says lead researcher Elizabeth D. Capaldi, PhD.

Kathy McManus, RD, director of the nutrition department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, developed these healthy meal-for-snack swaps for Prevention, at two calorie levels. 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.

	Instead of this snack		Eat this "meal"
	6 oz. fruited fat-free yogurt (150 calories)		½ sm. whole wheat pita, 2 thin slices turkey breast, sliced tomato, mustard
	1 oz. pretzels, ½ c. grapes (150 calories)		½ whole wheat English muffin, 1 oz. reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, green bell pepper and tomato slices
	Energy or breakfast bar (250 calories)		1 slice whole wheat toast, 1 scrambled egg, 2 slices turkey bacon
	Trail mix with chocolate chips, cashews, dried fruit (250 calories)		Whole wheat tortilla, slice of avocado, 2 slices chicken breast, tomato, lettuce, 1 Tbsp. salsa

From Prevention.com