Ever wonder how you ended up eating half of the food you made in one sitting when there was enough food to feed a family of five?  Well, something that is easier said than done is portion control.  We all have heard of the expression “Don’t feed your eyes”, right?  Well, if you’re like me when there is a pot of pasta in front of you and you haven’t eaten in six hours it’s hard not to just sit at the table with the pot and a fork in front of you.

 

            Here are some easy suggestions that will surely help trim those added calories:

 

1. Serve meals on smaller plates.  I find that I like to fill my plate and call that a serving…when in fact it’s probably actually three or four servings.  By serving on smaller plates  you will be eating a smaller amount but still feel like you are getting a whole meal, without the extra plate space.  Also, you may be less tempted to go up for seconds, and if you do go up for seconds it’s better to start with a smaller amount of food to begin with anyways.

 

2. Measure out your meals.  Now I don’t mean take a measuring cup when the food is done cooking and measure out food going onto the plate.  However, I am saying when cooking pasta or rice do not just pour it all in a pot.  Try measuring out servings before cooking.  By doing this you ensure that you are only eating a certain amount.  This also means that when you are finished cooking you know exactly how much each person should be having.  This can help you know how much to cook, and how to eliminate wasted extra food.

 

3. Set time aside to eat.  This may seem a bit obvious but you would be surprised at the number of people who don’t just only eat.  By this I mean don’t serve yourself a plate and sit in front of the TV or computer.  When your mind is focused on other things you have a hard time knowing that you are full.  Sometimes when I find myself eating while watching TV I am surprised to find that my food is all gone and will go up and get seconds…even if I really shouldn’t.  This especially applied for those junk food items, like chips.  Before you know it the whole bad can disappear on you!

 

4. Eat with others…and talk!  Research has shown that people will eat more when out with family and friends, but an easy way to combat this is to talk.  It’s been shown that the body cannot register that it is full until twenty minutes after eating which is why scientists recommend eating slowly.  However, if you don’t want to consciously eat slowly, spend more time talking.  By talking you are spending more time eating which will give you a more accurate depiction as to how hungry, or not, you really are.

 

5. Have a glass of water.  Other research has shown that the body will sometimes confuse  thirst as hunger.  So when in doubt have a glass of water.  After all, if it turns out that you really are hungry by having a glass of water beforehand you are more likely to serve yourself less because you’ve taken the edge out of how hungry you were.  Also, nothing helps chipping away at the recommended 8-10 glasses of water than having a glass of it before every time you eat!

 

            If you liked what I have to say or have something you’d like to add leave a comment below.  I’d love to hear what you have to say!