17 Jun Overeating is Avoidable!

Have you ever unbuttoned your pants or loosened your belt after eating too much? We’ve all been there, but I’m here to tell you that overeating is avoidable. More so than you probably think. Here are three things that we can control:

1. Variety: Variety may be the spice of life, but too much variety in our food can cause you to overeat. In one study, moviegoers given M&Ms in 10 colors ate 43 percent more than those who were offered M&Ms in just 7 colors. We eat with our eyes, and our eyes trick our stomachs. The more colors we see on a plate, the more we eat.

So use variety to help meet your nutritional needs, but concentrate on the right foods. Eating a variety of foods is great, as long as the foods are low in calories and rich in nutrients — like fruits, beans, vegetables, broth soups, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.

I just ate a cricket! Well, a Paleo friendly cookie made from cricket flour. Talk about variety 😉

2. Container Size: Moviegoers given an extra-large bucket of popcorn will eat up to 50 percent more than those given a smaller container of popcorn. Size matters.

You’ll also find plenty of bargains on bonus packages. You know the ones that say something like “50% more free!”… But unfortunately, experts say, these bonus bargains can affect us on an unconscious level and cause us to eat more. Researchers have found that when you eat from a large container, you are likely to consume 25% to 50% more than you would from a smaller package — especially when you’re eating snacks and sweets.

3. The Eyes Have It: Another study found that, hungry or not, people will eat more food if the food is in a clear bowl.

Time for a kitchen makeover! Buy smaller plates – 9 inches is a good size for a dinner plate and make sure you don’t buy clear glass, go for the opaque instead.

Also, it’s not necessary to fill up the entire plate! The more room on your plate, the more room you have to breathe 🙂