Be mindful of eating habits, portion sizes

In some parts of the world, people eat to satisfy hunger. Most Americans, however, do not stop eating when their stomachs are satisfied. Each day we make more than 200 food-related decisions, according to Brian Wansink, PHD, director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab and author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Wansink has conducted research into how much, what, and why we eat--often without even realizing it. He has found that influences range from friends and family to packaging and plate presentation. Mindless eating probably happens even more during the holidays than during the rest of the year.

Portions have increased dramatically in the last 20 years. A "portion" is the amount of food we choose to eat and a "serving" is the recommended amount of food our bodies need. For instance, a "serving" of meat, fish or poultry is 3 ounces--about the size of a deck of cards. But often what we put on our plates, or order in a restaurant, is a portion two or three times larger.

Wansink suggests that the size of dishes we use influences how much we eat. For a program I've been presenting I decided to compare plate and bowl sizes of my grandmother's dishes and the ones I had recently purchased.

My grandmother's dinner plate looks more like what we would use as a salad plate today. My new plates were much larger--in fact, they are 58 percent larger than Grandma's. The amount of food which filled Grandma's plate looks more like a sample on the larger plates. It's only natural, that we fill the plate, regardless of it's size. And, what we put on our plate, we tend to eat. It's sort of like the classic "clean plate club"; we are still programmed to clean our plate.

In one research experiment, Wansink rigged a "bottom-less" soup bowl that refilled as people ate from it. When the meal was over, those eating from the bottomless bowls thought they'd eaten the same amount as people with regular bowls. They actually ate 73 percent more soup.

In another study, people watching a video were each given a bag of M & Ms. When the video was over, the bags were collected and the remaining candies were counted. Those who were given a one-half pound bag ate an average of 71 pieces, while those given a one pound bag ate 137 pieces, or 264 calories more!

Wansink has tested 47 different products, finding that we use more from big packages, whether it be dog food, liquid plant food, laundry detergent, or food.

So, what does all the research have to do with our everyday meals? Wansink suggests that rather than trying to follow rigid rules for healthier eating, we can make some environmental changes--changes in the way foods are prepared and served--to help us improve our eating habits.

At home, consider switching to smaller plates and bowls. Serving food on individual plates, rather than "family style," will minimize the temptation for extra helpings. If you're snacking in front of the TV, dole out the amount you plan to eat into a bowl instead of bringing the whole snack package into the TV room.

When eating out, if there are two sizes available, choose the smaller size. Or, ask for a take-home container before you start eating; wrap up half of the meal to take home.

Try making more interesting and flavorful vegetable dishes and heaping those on your plate first. You'll have less room left for meat, thereby reducing your intake of saturated fat and increasing your consumption of healthy nutrients. Another strategy is to rely more on one-pot meals in which ingredients other than meat dominate.

If you have questions or need information on food preparation, nutrition, or other family and consumer topics, stop by the Extension office on first floor of the courthouse or call me at 223-3720.

Editor's Note: Ann Ludlum is a K-State Research and Extension family and consumer sciences and 4-H extension agent assigned to Bourbon County. She may be reached at (620) 223-3720.