Christmas dinners, New Year celebrations and holidays are just a few weeks away. You want to be able to enjoy all the wonderful meals that you have planned with family and friends without overeating. Here are 5 tips to help minimise overeating.
What makes us overeat?
A recent review found that one of the major reasons we continue to eat more and more food is because we are offered larger and larger portions. This could be due to better value buys for larger sized products in supermarkets, or restaurants serving up larger sized plates of food. But isn’t that 170g packet of chips normal? Isn’t it normal to get a 500g steak at the restaurant? What is normal?
What we think is normal is actually affected by what is popular and generally accepted by the community. As larger portions of food have increased, smaller portions of food have decreased, making smaller portions of food less likely to be viewed as normal or appropriate as a single serving. So over the years, when the largest packet of chips used to be around the 170g weight, you can now get 1kg packs of chips in some supermarkets. So if 1kg packs of chips become normal, will you eat the whole packet?
The review suggests that since we will continue to see the increased portion size as an appropriate quantity to consume, we will eat the 1kg pack of chips! We are also mentally hardwired to feel obliged to finish the entire pack or portion we are served. To make matters worse, adults instinctively select larger quantities of food when they are offered.
[caption id="attachment_947" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Portion Distortion. 20 years ago compared to today.[/caption]
How to resist overeating
The value-buys are very tantalising during this festive season, especially if you are preparing for a large group of family and friends. Here are 5 tips on how you can resist overeating but still enjoy your lovely meal.
- Use smaller crockery, cutlery and glasses. This will effectively reduce the portion size served and consumed. Keep in mind what the recommended portion sizes are.
- Don’t go for seconds. Stick to the portion you have, especially if you have already reduced your crockery size.
- Don’t pick at the leftovers. Pack the leftovers into boxes for guests to take home or for a later meal. If not, throw it out. If you eat it, you will have to work it off later!
- Buy snacks in the smaller packets. That way if you ever feel obliged to finish the pack, it would only be a small one.
- Don’t feel obliged to finish your plate. Stop when you feel full.
[caption id="attachment_950" align="aligncenter" width="89"]
What Healthy serving sizes really look like[/caption]
Summary
Increased food intake means increased energy intake which doesn’t necessarily get used, but instead, is stored as fat in our bodies. With overweight and obesity affecting 2 in 3 adults and 1 in 4 children in Australia, and the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers and chronic respiratory conditions, make portion controlling one of your New Year’s resolutions.