Still working off that winter bulge? New research shows that there are some simple tweaks you can make to your table settings in order to trick yourself into serving yourself smaller potions. Here’s how to properly set the table:
Buy plates in a contrasting color to that of your indulgent food.
Love spaghetti-with-marinara? Avoid red plates. Alfredo-sauce lover? Avoid white plates. We pile more food on the plate when it matches the color of the plate, according to research from Cornell University. In one study, buffet eaters who had red pasta on a red plate or white pasta on a white plate served themselves 22 percent more than participants with red sauce on a white plate or vice versa. (You can also use select green bowls and plates so you give yourself heftier portions of salad and veggies.)
Match your tablecloth and your plates. A study by the same researchers also found that you can help reduce over-serving yourself by as much as 10 percent if the dinnerware matches the color of the table, tablecloth, or placemat.
Eat meals on appetizer or salad plates and shallow bowls. Eating from smaller dishes make you think you’re eating larger amounts than you really are. A study found that people given larger bowls served and consumed 16% more cereal than those given smaller bowls, and estimated that they were consuming 7% less than the group with the smaller bowls.
Don’t watch cooking shows during mealtime. A study in the journal Appetite found that dieters ate an average of 60 calories more than non-dieters when watching a food-related program.
Even if you only save 50 calories a day, that adds up to five pounds per year that you’ll avoid gaining.
