I have talked a little bit about focusing on what you eat because of the connection you have between your food. Some people however are members of the "clean plate club." Those of us that have been inducted into this club may have been raised in a home where you had to finish your food before you could leave the table. You may feel that food cost money, and money is tight, so not eating that food is like throwing money in the trash. You could also have grown up in a culture where food is a way of showing love and friendship so you must eat to be polite.
Here are some simple ways to deal with the clean plate club.
1.) Use smaller plates, bowls, silverware, straws, and so on.
When you go to drink a milkshake you have experienced the small straw that the crushed oreo cookie can't fit through and you get ticked. Perhaps you have gone to an event where there was professed to be food only to find they had the mini plates you can only fit 6 grapes and a croissant on without stacking and "looking greedy." This was all done on purpose.
If it takes you longer to eat you will eat less. When you eat your body starts digesting in the mouth (a reason crackers turn to mush), there's more to saliva than just water. It takes time however for your body to send those signals to your brain and if you are eating too fast to pay attention to your body it won't matter if you get the signal anyway. This will prevent you from loading a plate and then "having" to eat the rest of the food even if you're full.
2.) Start with smaller portions.
This goes along with the first tip but some of us don't want to go out and buy new plates etc. There is research to show that their are visual cues that help you to check in and think about whether you are hungry or not. Leaving wrappers or shells of eaten foods visible is a great way to see what you've already eaten.
3.) Don't be a greedy eater.
If you are full and you don't want to finish but that food "needs" to be eaten, offer a spouse, kid, or parent.
4.) Get a to go box.
Granted this doesn't always work because some food is just not good reheated, but its a tool to keep in your box. If you won't eat reheated salmon, but reheated mashed potatoes are okay, eat what "can't" be reheated first.
What tactics do you use to get away from the clean plate club?
-Eat Wise
