Healthy Eating for Weight Loss

Why You Should Eat Like a Kid

Go ahead: Order a kid's meal, pack a lunch box, and chatter your way through dinner. These healthy eating habits could make losing weight child’s play
By Hollis Templeton fitbie
 

Eat a Kid's Meal

One reason children tend to eat less is because they start with less. “Kids, depending on age, eat smaller portions and often use smaller plates compared to adults,” explains Lisa Hark, PhD, RD, a family nutrition expert based in Philadelphia and author of Nutrition for Life (DK, 2007). “This is helpful and an excellent behavior to follow to limit portion sizes.”

Keep calories in check by dishing up your meal in the kitchen instead of hauling serving dishes to the table. Also try eating your dinner from snack- or dessert-size plates, or purchase dinnerware with portion-control patterns. When you’re done eating, leave your plate where you can see it. Visual cues likes dirty dishes can help keep appetite in check and mindless eating at bay.

In a Cornell University study published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills, graduate students were offered free admission to a chicken wing buffet at a sports bar on Super Bowl Sunday. Guests took seats at tables that were either being cleared throughout the evening or those where dirty dishes were allowed to pile up. Students sitting among heaps of dirty plates ate 28 percent less, suggesting that eating is done not only with the mouth, but also with the eyes.

Pick a protein-packed dinner to help you feel full long after the dishes are dry. Need an idea? We’ve got 50.

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