Foodmakers' latest hook is portion control

Can people get thinner by eating 100 calories at a time? Portion control seems to be food manufacturers' answer to America's obesity epidemic.

If you look on the supermarket snack aisles, you'll find Pringles portioned in 100-calorie packs. Both Pop-Secret and Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn can be purchased in 100-calorie bags.

The number of foods and beverages launched in the United States in prepackaged 100-calorie portions grew from nine in 2003 to 33 in 2005, according to Datamonitor's Productscan, an online database of new products. And more are on the way.

Campbell Soup's Pepperidge Farm is launching Goldfish 100 Calorie Pouches for "snacking on the go." Frito-Lay is rolling out a new line of chips portioned in "100 Calorie Mini Bites," and Keebler's Fudge Shoppe, Sandies and Chocolate Chip cookies now come in 100-calorie "Right Bites."

Coca-Cola came out with Coca-Cola Classic 100 Calories soft drinks late last year in squatty 8-ounce cans. Sprite also comes in similar cans. The words "100 Calories" are prominently displayed on the front of Cadbury Thins Chocolate Bars.

Already, Kraft Foods has racked up sales of more than $100 million for its Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs that hit store shelves in the summer of 2004, according to Productscan figures.

So don't be surprised to see this 100-calorie concept applied to other snack foods.

According to some data, Americans now consume about 25 percent of their daily calories from snacks. Our nation is one of multitaskers who eat at their desks, in their cars or in front of the TV or computer, rather than stopping for a sit-down meal.

Most dietitians will tell you that a 100-calorie snack can fit into a balanced diet. If you've taken in your five-a-day of fruits and veggies, your three-a-day of low-fat dairy and your three-a-day of whole grains; well, 100 calories worth of cookies can't do too much damage.

But if you need several of these 100-calorie packs to satisfy your sweet tooth, all this portion control has gone to waste (or waist).

I can think of a few reasons why food manufacturers would jump on this new gimmick:

1. They are off the hook when nutrition critics gripe about junk food and super-size portions. The 100-calorie packs give the impression of having customers' health in mind.