How to Enjoy More of the Super Bowl and Less of the Food

Are you smarter than a bowl? A nice snack mix in a big serving bowl will lead us to serve up to 50% more than the same snack in a smaller bowl.

At a Super Bowl party, we served Chex Mix to half of the partygoers in large gallon-size bowls. The other half were served from slightly smaller bowls. Those serving from the big bowls took and ate 146 more calories. Big bowls simply make it look normal and reasonable to serve more, so we do.

​The solution? When it’s your party, put the snacks in smaller bowls to begin with. The easiest way to outsmart a big bowl is to not bring it out in the first place.

Source: Wansink, Brian and Matthew M. Cheney (2005), “Super Bowls: Serving Bowl Size and Food Consumption,” JAMA–Journal of the American Medical Association,293:14 (April 13), 1727-1728.