Quick and Easy Ways to Eat Less

If you’re making smarter choices in your daily meals, but you still find you weigh more than you’d like, it’s time to consider the choices you make about food when you’re not paying attention. A little taste of cookie dough, the macaroni and cheese left over on your child’s plate, or the snatched handful of M&M’s as you pass the bowl in your neighbor’s cubicle all add up to thoughtless calories. These additional bits and pieces of food can be eliminated with a few simple changes to your daily habits.

If you are in the habit of nibbling as you bake, simply chew gum while you’re in the kitchen. This will keep your mouth occupied, and you will be far less likely to mindlessly pop the dough into your mouth if it’s full of minty goodness. A sugar-free gum is calorie sensible and it will save you from your usual bad habits. Or, if you’re out of chewing gum, keep a bag of washed baby carrots on the counter next to your mixing bowl. If you find yourself longing for a taste, grab a carrot. They’re delicious, crunchy, and far fewer calories than chocolate-chip cookie dough. They take awhile to properly chew, so by the time you have consumed your carrot the urge to sample the dough will hopefully have passed.

When you overfill your child’s plate, you’re faced with a lot of food that you don’t want to waste. Rather than eat the extra, simply start out with a smaller portion. Teaching your child to dish out just enough food to satiate his or her appetite is a great lesson, and it will save you from your own tendencies to clean the plate. If, despite your best efforts, your child still ends up with excess food on his or her plate, allow your child to clear the plate. Even a child as young as 4 can be responsible for walking a plate into the kitchen and dumping the excess food into the trash.

It’s also wise to keep any tempting snacks out of sight. Keep them wrapped, put them in a difficult-to-reach part of the cupboard, or put them in the drawer in the fridge or the freezer. Studies show that office workers eat significantly less candy from a covered dish than from a similar see-through container without a lid. Steer clear of the office that has the tempting candy dish, or enter the cube only if you’ve got your hands full or your mouth occupied.