Don't Super-Size Your Bowls For Big Game

The key to enjoying the Super Bowl with fewer calories might be the size of the serving bowls, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that people use the size of the bowls on a table as a rule of thumb as to how much food to take.

In the study, researchers invited 40 graduate students to a Super Bowl party and served them roasted nuts and Chex Mix from one of two buffet tables. One table had two big bowls of the snacks. The other had the same amount and type of snacks split into four small bowls. The researchers then recorded the amount of food eaten by each person.

They found that people who served themselves from the large bowls ate 56 percent more than those who used the smaller serving bowls. Thus, eating from the bigger bowls meant eating an extra 142 calories.

The findings were published last April in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"The size of serving bowls provide a subtle cue of how much we should eat," said Brian Wansink, lead researcher and professor of marketing at Cornell University. "A handful of Chex Mix from a large bowl doesn't seem like enough, but one from a medium bowl seems just about right."

The researchers suggest using smaller bowls for unhealthy snacks and big bowls for healthy foods like carrots or bell pepper strips for dipping -- to encourage your friends and family members to eat more.

• Research Letter Extract