Snap food photos for picture-perfect meals

The TV camera lens famously adds pounds to your frame. But your digital camera could do just the opposite for you. It could melt pounds. We're not just talking about looking thinner. Snapping photos can actually make you thinner.

That is, if you're snapping pics of what you're eating. Yep, if you take a photo of everything you eat for a week, two things will happen: You'll eat more healthy foods. And you'll eat less than usual.

That's because seeing a real-life picture of what you're about to put in your mouth makes you think twice. Unlike keeping a food diary, where you jot down what you eat after you've eaten it, taking a digital photo ahead of time gives you a chance to change your mind before you do the damage. You can weigh the visual evidence and decide, "Whoa, that's way too much food for one person." Or think: "Hey, this photo could use some color. It needs some bright fruits and vegetables."

Ready to start snapping?

Here are two more photo-diet tricks:

1. Make sure you can see the plate in the photo: If you use a white plate and leave white space around each food, it not only makes a prettier picture, it keeps the portions smaller.

2. Admire your photo as you eat. Putting your fork down occasionally to gaze at your artful work will remind you to slow the pace. That's key to feeling fuller while eating less.