It’s that time again: the holidays have arrived. That means a lot of fun, but also a lot of food. There is always a lot of delicious food on the table during Christmas dinner, and even though you are way too full, you still serve it up again. With these tips you will ensure that you do not eat too much.
Eating during the holidays
Gourmet meals, 3-course menus and snacks: sometimes the holidays no longer seem like an eating competition against yourself. We visit a lot and have a snack and a drink there, and then go to the next party, where we eat and drink even more. Although you may like all that fun, lying on the couch moaning and complaining and unbuttoning your pants is never pleasant. If you want to prevent this, we have the ultimate tips for you.
1. High temperatures
You may have noticed it, but have forgotten it by now: we eat less and healthier in the summer than in the winter. That has nothing to do with the holidays, but rather with the high temperatures outside. Your body needs less energy to stay warm, so you eat less. Artificially high temperatures also appear to have an influence on your appetite: various studies have been done, such as this British study from 2015. Employees in a room at 26 degrees Celsius ate on average 100 kcal less than employees in a room at 20 degrees Celsius. That may be a small difference, but during these holidays (read: food days) every little bit comes in handy. This way your belt doesn’t have to be loosened a hole.
2. The perfect plate
The easiest way to eat small portions is a small plate. On a smaller plate, the portions look larger and you can also adjust them to what fits on the plate. An optical illusion from 1865 confirmed this: a black circle was placed inside a white circle. If the white circle was small, the black circle appeared larger than if the white circle was larger. Plus, if you take a smaller plate, you won’t have to worry about a second round. That would be just a little bit more than one large plate. And let’s be honest, that big plate would also make you serve twice.
3. Color theory
In addition to the correct size of the plate, color also plays a role in the size of a portion. According to a study by Hacettepe University in Ankara, black and red plates are served much fuller than white plates. Why this is so? A red or black plate makes it look like the plate is not yet full, while contrasting colors like white make it look like it fills up faster. Therefore, choose a white plate if you want to eat a chocolate mousse, so you will consume less sugar.
