Love Italian food but not the Italian portions.
One of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to start eating healthily, which eventually leads to a secret hope of shedding a few pounds for good. While it's obviously a nonsense to start your healthy diet from the mid-week, the 1st of January, most of us have decided to start it from the following Monday. It always has to be Monday, there's something so magical about the beginning of the new week, you know..
Well then, today is offcially the first Monday of the 2014 and the time to swap that bag of crisps for a crisp and juicy apple could not be better.
However, sometimes the good intentions end because a lot of us simply overeat; especially on foods like pasta, rice, chips, curries, etc.
How to avoid the temptation of loading your plate with a ton of food?
The answer lies in the colour of your crockery.
A recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that the more significant the contrast between the colour of the food on the plate and the colour of the plate itself, the less likely we are going to overload the plate. The research shows that the actual colours of the food or the plates make no difference; what matters is the difference between the two. For example, if you present pasta covered in a red tomato sauce on a red plate or plain white rice on a white plate, you'll over serve, however, if you serve the mentioned pasta on a white plate and put the rice on a red plate, the portions will be smaller.
A marketing expert Koert Van Ittersum told the Forbes magazine: "This way your brain has to work harder to distinguish the food from the plate. To take advantage of this, white plates which provide a strong contrast to most foods, are probably your best bet."
Dr. Melina Jampolis, a leading physician nutrition specialist, told the Forbes magazine that “Having to pay attention to what and how much you are eating all the time is unfeasible and that’s why most people who lose weight tend to put it on again." She also added that “The research is clear, from the age of about four, we eat with our eyes, not our stomachs. With these kind of visual, environmental cues that can be easily integrated in a lifestyle, people can mindlessly lose weight in a way that leads to permanent change.”
The answer is simpler than it seemed at first - try to serve the meal on the contrasting plate. And it might be a good idea to invest in some green plates or bowls for those wishing to eat more greens.
By Toma Sukyte - For Female First
Tagged in Health Food & Drink