1. Be a food snob.
Don't waste precious calories on blase fare like chips or crackers. At parties, follow the lead of Leslie Kelly, 48, a restaurant reviewer in Memphis, and try a decadent hors d'oeuvre or the host's signature dish. "I always pick the special items that have lots of love poured into them, take just a small amount, and savor every bite," Kelly says. When you discover something that's not-so-wonderful, though, ditch it (but do it discreetly, of course).
2. Step away from the table.
If you don't put your choices on a plate, "you have no idea how much you're really eating," says Barbara Rolls, PhD, a Pennsylvania State University nutrition professor and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. "The worst thing you can do at a party is stand around the table dipping into the bowl."
3. Veg out.
At the start of a buffet, pile the greens and other tasty veggies on your plate, leaving just a little room for those high-calorie treats like sweets and cheeses. In a survey of more than 7,000 adults, Rolls found that those who ate the most fruits and vegetables were the least likely to be obese, even when they ate more food overall.
