Mindful Moves at the Dinner Table

 

It is amazing to consider that we make about 250 food decisions per day.  Ruth Marten quotes Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Why We Eat More Than We Think and Director of Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University people really have no idea what they are putting in their mouths.  Consider breakfast alone and the choices you can make.  Should I eat cereal?  Frozen waffles?  How about coffee?  Should I use splenda, sugar or half and half?  Should I drink a glass of juice or have an orange?

In Brian's studies, he deduced that 90% of people have no idea that the words on food labels, size of serving plates and packages or room lighting had any idea on the amount of their consumption.  Another interesting statistic is that we will eat 92% of what is on our plates regardless of plate size.  We also think that variety is the spice of life.  Well that may be true in many facets of our lives, but not at the dinner table.  Wansink's research shows that the more variety we have, the more we will eat. 

Here are 7 tips from Brian Wansink on eating mindfully as seen in the November 2006 Oprah Magazine (author Ruth Marten):

1.  People who stock up at discount stores eat up to 48% more.  If you buy in bulk, put pretzels and other snacks in portion-size Baggies.  Never, never, never eat out of the box.

2.  The longer you sit at the table, the more you'll eat.  Dine with one friend, you'll eat about 35% more.  With a group of 7, you'll eat 96% more.  If you're trying to lose weight, eat alone or with the smallest group possible, and pace yourself with the lightest eater. 

3.  If you pre-plate your food in the kicthen, you'll eat 14% less than if you serve yourself a smaller portionat the table and then take seconds. 

4.  Brain's rule of two: When eating at a buffet, put only two items on your plate.  Even if you make repeated trips, you'll eat a lot less.

5.  Always eat in the same room of your house (but not in front of a TV or computer).  You won't snack as much.

6.  Don't leave serving dishes on the table unless they're filled with veggies. 

7.  A Butterfinger or a hug?  What do you really want?  Physical hunger builds gradually.  Emotional hunger develops suddenly. 

Check out your eating habits, serving dishess and stress levels.  See if you can make small changes that will make a big difference!