Tessa’s Tips – Good Things DO Come in Small Packages

After all of the fun and indulgences of the holiday season , it’s only natural that we look for ways to cut back.  And, while there seems to be a lot of pressure to make drastic changes, I come bearing good news – one tweak can make a big difference.

In developing a strategy to make better choices, we’d be wise to heed the advice of Brian Wansink, researcher at the Cornell Food lab (and one of my favorite scientists).

Instead of recommending that we drink diet soda or use low-fat butter (blech!) he advises us to take a look at the environment around us for help in reducing portion sizes of the foods we eat. For example, did you know that the size of your plate or bowl has a huge impact on how much you actually eat? According to Wansink, serving and eating from a larger bowl can encourage you to eat between 30 and up to 70% more than if the same food was served in a smaller bowl. This shouldn’t come as a shock when you consider that as children, we all strived to be a member of the “Clean Your Plate Club”. One tweak to your tableware may help you cut your caloric intake in half. This is especially important if you’re a member of the “Clean Plate Club” (club members, you know who you are).

http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/large-plates.html

And if you think that eating “low-fat” foods will solve all of your problems—you might want to consider the research conducted at Wansink’s Food Lab that showed that by simply putting a low-fat label on a food encouraged people to eat up to 50% more than those made without the low fat claim! I’ll stick with the regular cheese, please (but will just put it on a smaller plate)!

After all, moderation is the key to getting it off and keeping it off!