Giving attention to details might give you more control on how much food you consume. You'll soon discover that little things can have a big impact on your food choices.
USA Today reports that researchers at Cornell University Food and Brand Lab were surprised to find that little changes can largely affect your waistline. As part of the "Behavioural Science of Eating" theme, a whole new set of findings will be released in the upcoming issue of the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.
From the research, here are 10 tips that could change your eating habits:
1. Skip a meal if you're not particularly hungry
Listen to your body and know if the hunger stems from boredom or your body needing energy. Eating when not hungry causes blood sugar to spike which is unhealthy.
2. Be careful around "healthy" food labels
There's a tendency to overeat food labelled as "healthy" as it can be less filling compared to unhealthy ones. Do not overeat and check the recommended serving size.
3. Install mirrors where you eat
Seeing yourself eat can be less appetizing than eating where you can't see yourself. Researchers found that mirrors in the kitchen and dining room can create a sense of discomfort when overeating. However, this doesn't change the taste of healthy food.
4. Healthy meals can take cure from "Happy Meals"
It was found that adults and children eat a small portion of food when it comes with a toy or prize. According to brain scans, the brain responded the same way with additional food.
5. Take a hint from Disney's influence on diners
Make healthy side dishes a default part of your everyday meal. Fruits and vegetables are part of the kids' meals at the Walt Disney World.
6. Read nutrition labels carefully
Smaller recommended serving sizes can lead to overeating. So do not be tempted by a tasty treat that hides all the true calorie count in small serving sizes.
7. Use smaller plates
Plates smaller by half can make people eat 30 percent less food on average. It is best if you're serving yourself.
8. You'll eat less from a less fancy plate
Researchers have a theory that people think food as disposable when served on paper plates. Plate material plays a role in our food consumption.
9. Choose a fork over a spoon
This simple choice can make a huge difference. When eating with spoon and fork, people have a general impression that food has a low-calorie content leading to overeating. So always go for the fork.
10. Avoid negative messages
Watching videos that labels food as bad has an opposite impact to its audience. Dieters were found to eat 39 percent more cookies than those who saw a more positive video about sugary snacks. A combination of both has the best effect according to researchers.
These little changes when adapted can create a huge impact on how much food you eat. So eat well!
