What? You don’t stop eating when you’re full? Ha! I hardly ever stop eating when I’m full. I eat because the food is there and because it tastes good. I stop when the plate is clean. It’s the way I grew up. I am a member of the “Clean Your Plate Club.” So how do you control portions without feeling starved? Drum roll please….
Make this simple change to your lifestyle—USE A SMALLER PLATE.
It really works! Here’s how…
Did you know that today’s typical dinner plates are approximately 40% larger than they were in 1960? Our dinner plates provide enough room for us to add approximately 335 calories more to our day. Plus studies on plate size prove it’s all about perception. In one study¹, two groups were served the same amount of food, but with one big difference– plate size. One group had their meal served on a 9” plate while the other group was served on a 13” plate. Guess what happened? The people with the 9” plate felt satisfied at the end of their meal, but those in the 13” plate group still felt hungry after eating the same amount of food.
So here is what I did. I re-stocked my cupboard with 9” plates . For those of you without rulers, it’s your current salad plate. I also bought smaller bowls, too.
And with using smaller plates, I also don’t serve family style (big serving bowls of food set right on the table). I serve up our food at the kitchen counter and then sit down at a table to eat. (This is called environmental control). Sometimes I bring the extra vegetables or salad to the table, though. You really can’t over eat veggies!
This is a lifestyle change, like brushing your teeth every day. You’ll eat with smaller portions, but without feeling deprived. After all, you aren’t on a diet anymore.
¹ Why We Eat More Than We Think. Mindless Eating. Brian Wansink, PH.D. 2006
[…] The secret is… environmental control and portion size. […]