How to cut down on snacks ... keep treats in resealable bags

those tempting treats may prove very hard to resist.

But you can keep the cravings at bay by keeping snacks in resealable bags.

simply packaging junk foods in the 6p bags can have a dramatic impact on our eating habits, say researchers.

tests show we are much less likely to keep gorging on fatty treats if they are kept in a bag that can be done up and stored in the fridge or cupboard.

experts think the act of sealing a bag of food somehow acts as a psychological barrier that curbs the desire to keep going back to it. Researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium tested volunteers who were given a large bag of skittles to munch on as they shopped in a supermarket. half got a resealable bag while the rest were given one that would not close after opening.

the results, in the journal Appetite, showed participants ate a quarter of the sweets if the bag could be sealed – but half of the contents if they could not close it.

In a report on the findings, psychologists said: ‘Choosing a resealable package might increase their ability to regulate what they eat without them feeling forced to do so.’