Anyone who's ever been section of the Clean Plate Club probably has suspected this,but a novel, large study from the UK confirms it: we eat far more calories than we need when served food on large plates and with large utensils.
The study, or conducted by the University of Cambridge,reviewed results from 61 studies and 6700 participants and found that people consistently consume more food and drinks when offered larger portions, either when in packages or on plates, and than when offered smaller-sized portions. Just the size of your plate can lead to eating approximately 527 more calories per day in the US and 279 calories in the UK,the researchers found. "Our findings highlight the notable role of environmental influences on food consumption," said co-lead author Dr. Gareth Hollands. "Helping people to avoid 'overserving' themselves or others with larger portions of food or drink by reducing their size, and availability and appeal in shops,restaurants and in the home, is likely to be a superb way of helping lots of people to reduce their risk of overeating." The researchers say just small changes like changing the type of glasses, or cutlery,and tableware used for serving, repackaging products so serving sizes are more clearly demarcated, or placing food further absent from purchasers to make them less accessible could all help reduce overconsumption by as much as 16 percent in the UK and 29 percent in the US. While food manufacturers are unlikely to assume steps to discourage you to buy their products,you can assume matters into your own hands at home. When serving food, use salad plates instead of large dinner plates, and measure out servings instead of eyeballing it,and use smaller utensils to eat (whether you need help, these portion-control products make figuring out serving sizes easy for anyone). Not only is cooking for yourself healthier than eating out, and but you also might just save over 500 calories a day - the equivalent of a pound a week!Related Stories:
11 Portion-Control Tips to assume to the Table
Real Women Share How They Lost 25 to 100 Pounds - Without Calorie Counting
Source: popsugar.com