Eating less with smaller plates
Putting food in a smaller dish, like a plate or a bowl, can help with dieting efforts. Credit: iStock
For those who remember hearing their parents say, "Clean your plate," now might be a good time to change to smaller plates at home.
Research presented at the American Psychological Association's annual convention in August found that "mindless eating" -- consuming whatever is put in front of you without thinking -- is one reason Americans are getting fatter.
As part of the study, researchers offered 60 subjects a 22-ounce serving of soup. But half of the subjects were eating out of souped-up soup bowls that surreptitiously and slowly refilled.
Those with "bottomless" bowls ate 73 percent more than subjects with regular bowls, although they thought they had consumed only one 22-ounce serving.
The study noted that using salad plates instead of dinner plates as well as smaller bowls and glasses tricks the mind into telling the stomach it's had enough.
Also, chowing down while watching TV is a major contributor to mindless eating, according to researchers.
