We mindlessly eat all year long, but especially during the holiday season. All of those yummy goodies are laying around the house or are brought to your workplace for everyone to try and it's hard to have control. I read an article recently about being "portion aware" by Brian Wansink, author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think." Here are his top tips for gaining control....
1) Slow Down!
It takes a few minutes for your stomach to relay signals of satiety to your brain. If you are shoveling in the food as fast as you can, your body doesn't know right away that it's getting full. You can pile on unwanted calories! Make a pledge to eat slower. Here's a challenge: put your fork down between every bite. It's a bit annoying, but will definitely make you slow down.
2) Abandon the Clean Plate Club.
Wansink did a study with Parisians and how they knew when to stop eating. They said when they felt full. Chicagoans, on the other hand said they were done eating when everyone else was done eating or when their plates were empty. Work on the Parisian mentality in this situation.
3) Be selective about what you put on the table.
Plate your entrees in the kitchen and put veggies and salads on the table to serve family-style. Proximity can make a 20% difference!
4) Think about the color of your dishes.
Wansink says, "If you are having mashed potatoes, you'll eat 18% more if they're served on a white plate than if they're served on a plate that offers more contrast." The higher the color contrast, the more aware you are of how big your serving is. Serve potatoes or pasta on a darker plate and see if it helps you eat less.
5) Face your food.
Don't eat directly from a package, but portion your food out on a dish so that you have to face exactly how much you'll eat. We consume 20-30% more food when eating straight from a box or bag. The bigger the package, the more we consume.
6) Remember the "movie-muncher" rule.
According the Wansink, moviegoers who ate popcorn from a large bucket ate 53% more than those who chose a medium-sized bucket. Get in the habit of choosing and serving smaller portions all around. If you give people a lot, they eat a lot!
So, what can you do right now? Serve your Christmas goodies on small plates. Store some of it in the freezer so that it's out of sight and harder to mindlessly munch on. Have just one plateful at the office party and then move away from the food. If everyone around you is mindlessly eating, you'll be more apt to do so too. Carry a drink in your hand so that you can keep your mouth busy with something else besides cookies and fudge.
Remember, it's not about what you eat between Christmas and New Years, it's about what you eat between New Years and Christmas!
