10 Food Hacks to Eat Less! (+Lose Weight)

Joanna Soh Official

16 Sept 201605:29

Summary

TLDRJonah shares 10 simple food hacks to help viewers eat less without feeling deprived. Tips include downsizing plates, using contrasting plate colors, drinking tall glasses for beverages, opting for smaller snack packs, drinking water before meals, keeping food out of sight, leaving evidence on the plate, practicing proper plating, dividing restaurant portions, and limiting distractions during meals. These tricks aim to subtly influence eating habits for a healthier lifestyle.

Takeaways

🍽️ Downsizing your plate can trick your brain into thinking you're eating more, which helps reduce portion sizes.
🎨 Using plates with high contrast to the food can help you eat less, while serving greens on a green plate can encourage more consumption.
🥤 Drinking from a tall, thin glass can make you consume less liquid, especially for high-calorie beverages like sodas and alcohol.
🛍️ Buying smaller snack packs can help control portions and prevent overeating, as you are less likely to finish a larger pack in one sitting.
💧 Drinking water before meals can prevent overeating by addressing potential dehydration that might be mistaken for hunger.
👀 Keeping food out of sight can reduce the likelihood of mindless snacking, especially if the food is stored in non-transparent containers.
🍽️ Leaving evidence of your meal on the plate can help you eat less, as visual cues of consumed food can make you more mindful of your intake.
🥦 Practicing proper plating with half the plate for vegetables, a quarter for lean protein, and a quarter for whole grains can help lower calorie consumption.
🍴 Dividing restaurant meals into 'to eat now' and 'to take home' portions can prevent overeating by managing portion sizes more effectively.
🚫 Limiting distractions during mealtime can improve your body's awareness of the food consumed, leading to better eating habits.
📺 Engaging with your senses during meals, such as looking, smelling, and tasting your food, can enhance the eating experience and prevent overeating.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video by Jonah?
-The main purpose of the video is to share 10 simple food hacks that can help viewers trick their brains into eating less without feeling deprived or needing to make drastic changes to their eating habits.
Why does using a smaller plate help in reducing food intake?
-Using a smaller plate helps in reducing food intake because research has shown that people are more likely to pile on more food to fill up a larger plate, so swapping for smaller plates tricks the brain into thinking you are having more.
How does the color contrast between the plate and the food affect eating habits?
-The color contrast between the plate and the food can affect eating habits because if the plate is of a similar color to the food, it may lead to eating more. For example, serving rice on a white plate can result in eating 22% more than on a dark plate.
What is the visual effect of using a tall, thin glass for serving beverages?
-Using a tall, thin glass for serving beverages creates a visual effect where the glass appears to hold more liquid than a short glass, even if both contain the same amount. This can help in limiting the intake of high-calorie beverages like sodas and alcohols.
Why is it recommended to buy small packs of snacks instead of large ones?
-Buying small packs of snacks instead of large ones is recommended because it helps in eating less. When a large pack is in front of you, there's a tendency to finish it in one sitting, whereas smaller packs can help control portion sizes.
What is the significance of drinking water before reaching for a snack?
-Drinking water before reaching for a snack is significant because it can help determine if you are actually hungry or just dehydrated. Drinking water or having a light broth-based vegetable soup before a meal can fill you up and reduce your food intake by about 20 percent.
How can keeping food out of sight help in controlling snacking?
-Keeping food out of sight can help in controlling snacking because if you can't see the food, you are less likely to think about it and eat it, even when you're not hungry. Storing snacks in non-transparent containers and keeping them out of direct view can reduce the temptation to snack.
What is the effect of leaving evidence of food on the plate after eating?
-Leaving evidence of food on the plate after eating can help in controlling overeating. Previous experiments have shown that without visual evidence of the food consumed, people tend to eat 28% more. Leaving some food on the plate can serve as a visual clue to track how much you have eaten.
What is the recommended plating method for a healthy meal according to the video?
-The recommended plating method for a healthy meal is to have half of the plate filled with vegetables, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with whole grains. This method helps in lowering the overall calorie consumption and increasing total fiber intake.
Why is it advised to divide the food on your plate when dining out?
-Dividing the food on your plate when dining out is advised to avoid overeating. Restaurants often serve large portions that can contain more than 1200 calories. By dividing the meal into 'to eat now' and 'to bring home' piles, you can control your calorie intake and avoid finishing the entire plate.
How can limiting distractions during mealtime help in better eating habits?
-Limiting distractions during mealtime helps in better eating habits because it allows your body to register the food you've eaten. Engaging with your senses, such as looking, smelling, and tasting your food, can prevent overeating due to inattention.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Simple Food Hacks for Mindful Eating

This paragraph introduces 10 simple food hacks designed to influence eating habits positively without drastic changes. The hacks include downsizing plates and utensils to trick the brain into eating less, contrasting plate and food colors to control portion sizes, using tall glasses for beverages to reduce consumption, opting for smaller snack packs, drinking water before meals to prevent overeating, keeping food out of sight, leaving evidence of eaten food to track consumption, practicing proper plating methods with a focus on vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, dividing restaurant meals into two portions, and limiting distractions during meals to enhance the eating experience and prevent overeating.

05:01

📚 Additional Food Tips and Resources

The second paragraph serves as a call to action for viewers to explore more about healthy eating by checking out additional video links provided in the description box. It emphasizes the value of understanding healthy eating in detail and encourages viewers to engage with the content for a more comprehensive approach to food and health.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Food decisions

Food decisions refer to the choices individuals make regarding their dietary intake, including what, where, and how much to eat. In the video, food decisions are highlighted as habitual and often subconscious, with the aim of the video being to provide strategies to make healthier choices without feeling deprived.

💡Habits

Habits are regular patterns of behavior that are often performed unconsciously. The script mentions that 90% of food decisions are habit-based, emphasizing the importance of developing healthier eating habits for long-term benefits.

💡Portion control

Portion control involves managing the amount of food one eats to prevent overeating. The video suggests downsizing plates and bowls as a simple hack to trick the brain into thinking more food is being consumed, thus helping with portion control.

💡Plate size

Plate size is the diameter of the plate used for serving food. Research cited in the video indicates that larger plates can lead to serving and eating more food, hence the recommendation to use smaller plates to manage portions effectively.

💡Contrast

Contrast, in the context of the video, refers to the visual difference between the color of the plate and the food served on it. Using plates with high contrast to the food can help in eating less, as it tricks the brain into perceiving more food than there actually is.

💡Visual cues

Visual cues are the elements within the visual field that influence perception and behavior. The video uses the example of tall, thin glasses to illustrate how visual cues can trick the mind into thinking that less liquid is being consumed, thus reducing intake.

💡Smaller packs

Smaller packs refer to the practice of buying and consuming food in smaller quantities. The video suggests that smaller packs can help control snacking by reducing the amount of food available at one time.

💡Dehydration

Dehydration is a state of insufficient hydration in the body. The script mentions that sometimes the sensation of hunger might be a sign of dehydration, and drinking water before reaching for snacks can help in curbing unnecessary eating.

💡Out of sight

Out of sight is a concept that suggests that if food is not visible, it is less likely to be thought about or consumed. The video recommends storing treats in non-transparent containers to reduce the temptation to snack.

💡Proper plating

Proper plating refers to the arrangement of food on a plate to ensure a balanced and healthy meal. The video advises that a healthy portion should consist of half vegetables, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter whole grains, which can help in reducing overall calorie consumption.

💡Distractions

Distractions are anything that takes attention away from the task at hand. The video warns against eating with distractions, as it can lead to overeating because the body may not register the food consumed. It encourages mindful eating without distractions.

Highlights

Downsize your plate to trick your brain into eating less, as research shows using larger plates leads to piling on more food.

Choose plates with high contrast to the food color to eat less, and green plates for greens to eat more.

Serve bad liquid calories like sodas and alcohols in tall glasses to drink 20% less.

Buy small snack packs and divide them into smaller containers to eat less.

Drink water first when you feel hungry to avoid eating when you might just be dehydrated.

Keep food out of sight to avoid mindless snacking, store treats in non-transparent containers.

Leave evidence behind on your plate to help track how much you've eaten and avoid overeating.

Practice proper plating with half vegetables, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter whole grains to lower calorie intake.

Divide restaurant meals into 'to eat now' and 'to bring home' piles to avoid overeating.

Limit distractions during mealtime to ensure your body registers the food you've eaten and avoid eating more.

Engage with your senses during meals - look, smell, and taste every bite for a mindful eating experience.

Take lunch breaks away from your desk to avoid distracted eating in an office setting.

Start by practicing these 10 simple food hacks to subtly influence your mind and behavior for healthier eating habits.

Building a lifestyle of healthy habits is a long-term process, so be patient and consistent with these food hacks.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel for more fun and informative food tips to enhance your healthy eating journey.

Check out the video links in the description box for more detailed insights into healthy eating practices.