There are a few simple things you can do at each meal to increase the value you get, and not eat as much. Keep reading to learn the tips and tricks to being a healthy diner!
Eat Soup as a Meal
Studies have shown time and time again that soup eaters are generally less heavy than regular meal eaters. Even though soups are often unhealthy, eating soup as a meal is a very healthy option because it eliminates a lot of other empty calories from your plate. Try eating a controlled portion of soup a couple times a week for lunch or dinner, and see if it makes a difference for you!
Set a Timer
It's time to have an eating contest, against yourself! Instead of seeing how quickly you can eat, the goal of this contest is actually the opposite: you need to extend the amount of time you sit at the table to 20 minutes. That's right, it's a proven fact that people who eat slower, eat less. This is because a lot of our taste and feeling of satisfaction while eating occurs simply because we smell food and savor it in our mouths. If you chow down and eat food really quickly, that satisfaction and fullness will occur in more time, which means eating more food. Try slowing it down, and see how much more you'll enjoy the process of lunch and dinner.
Skip the Sugar Drinks
There are plenty of reasons to skip sugar drinks already, but new studies show that sugar drinks do not help contribute to our feeling of fullness and satisfaction while snacking or dining. Thus, in addition to being empty calories that provide no nutritional value, they also pack on weight without even giving us a fuller feeling! Cutting out sugar drinks is hard to do, but once you live without them for a couple of weeks, you'll love how much better you feel.
