Putting the salad in a clear bowl makes it more attractive to eat.
These kitchen tips and tricks prove that our environment can have an influence in the way we consume food. Be careful in choosing the right kitchen and eating utensils. It could cost you a few pounds. Here are seven useful tips to help you lose weight.
1. Use a larger fork
According to a field study on The Influence of Bite Size on Quantity of Food Consumed, fork size has an influence on the amount of food typically consumed by customers in a restaurant. The researchers found that less food is consumed when a larger fork size is used. Unfortunately, more food is also left on the plate. The reason behind this is that consumers think they are eating more when using a larger fork. Therefore, they tend to keep their meal consumption minimal.
2. Use a smaller plate
Using Delboeuf Illusion, people perceive food portions as larger than actual when placed in a smaller plate than in a larger plate. Therefore, if you want to eat less, chose smaller plates instead.
3. Use a smaller spoon
Bigger forks may mean lesser food consumption but when it comes to spoon, it’s the other way around. In a study involving ice cream illusions, researchers found that those who were given bigger spoons consumed more ice cream compared to those who used smaller spoons. The same is true with bowl size. Those who were given a bigger bowl consumed more ice cream than those who use a smaller sized bowl.
4. Eat off a plate in high contrast color with your food
Still using the Delboeuf Illusion, the more contrasting the color of your plate is to your food, the smaller you tend to eat. On the other hand, the lesser the contrast between dinnerware and the background (includes the table, placemat and tablecloth), the lesser you tend to eat.
5. Put veggies and fruits in an attractive clear dish or bowl
A team of researchers actually used candies and chocolates in their study. Actually, the main objective of the study was to establish the increase in food consumption when a candy bowl is in close proximity. However, it also touched upon the subject of transparent versus opaque bowls. It was found that food consumption increases when candies are placed in a clear bowl. To turn this into something positive, put fresh fruits instead of candies in the bowl.
6. Use tall, slim glasses for beverages
Based on the vertical-horizontal illusion, we often notice the vertical alignment and size of an object first before its width. In a study conducted by the Food and Brand Lab in a health and fitness camp, teenagers were randomly given tall and short glasses (with the same volume) in a cafeteria. Those who were given short glasses reportedly consumed 75% more beverages. They thought they were given a smaller glass which made them pour more.
7. Avoid eating in a very cold environment
Our body needs to burn calories in order to keep our normal body temperature at 98.6 deg F. If we feel cold, our body tends to crave for high fat and high carb foods. Meanwhile, if the weather is quite warm, our body looks for cool foods such as those with high water content (salads, fresh fruits and vegetables).
After reading these kitchen tips and tricks, you now have a better understanding and proof that our environment can have an influence in the way we consume food. Be careful in choosing the right kitchen and eating utensils. It could cost you a few pounds.
Photo credit: JenTravelsLife on Flickr
