Tips for Eating Less

To Avoid Overeating, and to Eat Fewer Calories 

Availability of Food

• Don't have unhealthy food at home or at your desk and you are less likely to consume it
• Try having almonds available as a quick snack (10 almonds is a filling, protein-rich snack is only approximately 77 calories)

Eat off of Small Plates/Bowls - Avoids filling a large plate

• A full small plate is better than seeing a half-empty large plate/bowl
• At Restaurants: Put ½ in a to-go box when the meal first arrives
• At Home: Dish out the food (on small plates/bowls) and then put away any extra before eating - Less tempting to go back for seconds

Never Eat Directly Out of the Bag/Box

• Always be able to see your food - Put it onto a small plate/bowl
• Eating straight from the bag creates mindless eating (especially in front of the TV)

Brain Recognition of Nutritional Value of Food

• It's easy to eat a lot of junk food at one time because your brain can recognize the nutritional content of the food that you are eating. If it does not sense you have satiated your nutritional needs, it will continue to signal you to eat more.
• Healthy food tends to fill you up quickly; although the fiber content also plays a role: processed food generally has less fiber than healthy raw food and therefore is not as filling.
• These two reasons are why you can eat an entire box of cheez-its in one sitting but not 10 apples even though 10 apples have fewer calories than the box of cheez-its.