We can’t stop eating them.
Nutella we eat straight out of the jar until it’s all gone.
Almonds we eat mindlessly because nobody really ever eats just a few pieces.
And popcorn… well, we all know how that goes.
These are the type of foods that we call “domino foods” — once you start eating them, it’s almost impossible to stop.
From “unhealthy” processed chips and cookies to “healthy” raw almonds and peanuts, they were made to be snacked on frivolously.
Domino foods can be a bit dangerous because of how easy it can be to over eat them. A cup of whole almonds, for example, contains over 800 calories. Imagine watching your favorite TV show while snacking on some almonds. Next thing you know, you’ve eaten two cups worth.
That’s more calories than TWO Big Macs from McDonald’s!
By simply knowing how to control your consumption of domino foods, you’ll most likely lower your overall calorie intake.
Here’s how to better manage them.
How to Effortlessly Manage Your Domino Foods
Step 1: Know YOUR Domino Foods
Everyone’s got their own list of domino foods. Mine are:
- Pringles (Sour Cream & Onion kind, duhh)
- Popcorn
- Ice cream
- French fries
- Peanuts
- Cashews
Put those foods in front of me and you can bet that I’ll finish them before you can spell “Pringles”.
The first step to managing them is knowing what YOUR domino foods are in the first place. Note the keyword “your”. Although it might be hard for me to stop eating Pringles, it might not be for you.
What foods do you usually lose control over? Think about it for a minute and then jot them down.
Step 2: Get Them Out of Your Face
This sounds stupidly simple, but the best way to combat your consumption of domino foods is to get them out of your sight. You know that one saying, “out of sight out of mind”? Well, there’s something magical about it.
Let’s take a real-life example with ice cream. Usually, some of us would take the tub of ice cream with us to the couch, and say to ourselves “Oh, I’ll just eat a few scoops.”
Bad, bad, bad idea. That never works.
So here’s what you’ll do instead:
Buy smaller servings. Nowadays, many food companies are making smaller versions of their products. Buy those instead of the regular size ones. As soon as you finish eating the mini tub of ice cream, that’s it. No más. You’ve got no other choice.
Don’t eat directly from the packaging. Using the same ice cream example, take out a bowl, put a few scoops of ice cream in it, and then put the ice cream tub back in the freezer.
Don’t have them in your home. If you find yourself really sucking at portion control, then this might be the best route to take. The goal here is NOT to forbid anything completely, but to keep them out of the house where they’re easily accessible.
If you’ll keep them around the house, have your kids or significant other hide them. Seriously. After you take your serving or two or three, have them hide your domino foods. (They just have to be good at hiding things, or else this won’t work).
I know these all sound really simple, but hey, if they work that’s what matters, right?
Consuming too many calorie-dense foods is one of the biggest reasons why people go over their calorie intake.
Trying to fool yourself that you can eat just a handful of almonds or just one piece of cookie never works. Our willpower is limited. If you know that you’re the type of person that tend to eat mindlessly, prevention is key.