Size of a Diet Plate

The amount of food you eat is influenced by many factors. Although you may like to think that you have full control over wheat food you choose and how much you put on your plate, researcher Brian Wansink suggest that many factors, such as packaging size, lighting, socializing, variety of food choices, and the size and shape of your plate all have a role to play, as explained in his book "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think."

Clean Your Plate Mentality

Most Americans were raised being told to clean their plate. If it is your case, you may find it very difficult to leave food on your plate, even if you feel full, whether you are eating out or at home. Cleaning your plate is likely to make you overeat. The size of the plate in restaurants has been increasing in the last decades, as has the size of the plate sets sold for your home. Wansink believes that this factor is contributing to the overweight and obesity epidemic in the country.

Smaller Plate

Wansink recommends using a plate with a diameter of 10 inches. Most plates have a size of at least 12 inches, if not more. Switching to a smaller plate can help you reduce your calorie intake without even trying. You can still eat the same foods you enjoy, but by using a 10-inch plate, and not going for seconds, you will automatically eat less than before. Many dieters try to follow complicated diet programs, but according to Wansink, just a few simple changes, including choosing a smaller plate, is enough to help you achieve and maintain a healthier weight.

Small, Full Plate

If you use a large plate and try to control your serving size, you may still be able to lose weight but will certainly feel less satisfied. If you plate doesn't look full, you may feel deprived and like you haven't had enough to eat. By choosing a smaller plate, you can fill it completely. A full plate will help you feel like you have plenty to eat and will help you stick to your small plate diet plan. To ensure you have enough variety in your diet and that you get all the nutrition you need, fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with protein-rich foods like poultry, fish or meat, and the remaining quarter with whole grains.

Weight Loss

Choosing a 10-inch plate instead of a 12-inch plate is enough to make you save 100 to 500 calories a day. Because a pound of body weight corresponds to about 3,500 calories, simply reducing the size of your plate could help you lose 0.2 to 1 lbs. a week. If you lose weight at a slow and steady pace, it gives you time to adopt your new, healthier dietary habits, and increases your chances of being successful at reaching and maintaining your goal weight.