Seven almonds.

It took me a while to get used to the idea of a single-digit number of tiny things as a snack.   I do it almost without thinking now. 

Assuming you've already gotten control over the number of snacks you're having daily -- I allow myself exactly two -- a decent rule of thumb for controlling the size of snacks, especially snacks of unknown composition (are those baked or fried tortilla chips?) is to have one ounce.  Even if you were to eat one ounce of pure oil, you'd only be set back about 250 calories.  That's not insignificant, and you'd better not do it every day, but it's not going to break the bank, so to speak.  Think of it as a ceiling.

Almonds are another one of my talismans.  It is hard to believe now, but not long ago I did not like them very much.  I had tried to like them, because they're way up top of the "good for you" nut list.  I tried to switch from peanut butter to almond butter.  It never worked very well.  

But after I started adding nuts, a few at a time, into my snacks, I found myself choosing almonds more and more often.   Now they are the first nut I reach for.  I am beginning to think I should buy stock in Blue Diamond.  I keep these in my car cup holder as my emergency snack.   It has measurements on the side, as if I needed to be told; by now I know that there are about 24 almonds in an ounce.

Comments

[Christy P]

I just had 1 steak fajita as a snack. Lunch was inadequate and leftovers abound in the medical school, even in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the medical school that is Family and Preventive Medicine.