The Danger of the Clean Plate

There’s nothing wrong with cleaning your plate. Unless, of course, you let the dog do it (which was the only time I heard my Granny curse. Lesson learned.)

The problem today is not that we clean our plates. The problem is that our plates are too big and/or too full. Supersize meals are giving us supersize bodies.

I read something interesting the other day about how the brain and body work together when you eat. And how we can overwrite our body’s internal programming and make ourselves sick.

Not just sick like "I ate too much". But sick like diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.

My business partner, Dr. Elise, suggested I read The Omnivore’s Delimma, by Michael Pollan. It’s a great book, and I recommend it to you, too. Here's the omnivore’s delimma: since we can eat virtually anything we want to, and have access to ever-increasing food choices, how do you decide what to eat? And why?

Pollan explores the politics, economics and biology of eating, and how they shape our food choices. Good stuff.

The one thing that caught my eye, was how the brain-body connection influences our eating.

Researchers found that people presented with large portions will eat up to 30 % more than they would otherwise. Basically, the more we have on our plate (or in our box or our cup holder), the more we eat.

30%. Yikes. Would you like fries with that?

Part of it is hard-wired into our biology. We feast when there’s more food available, to store up some fat for the next famine.

But to quote Mr. Pollan, “…it’s a disaster in an environment of fast-food abundance, when the opportunity to feast presents itself 24/7. Our bodies are storing reserves of fat against a famine that never comes.”

So, how can we learn (or un-learn) to get past this survival instinct? Can we retrain and respect our body’s appetite, and help maintain our ideal weight?

Here are a few ideas:

First, don’t cook so much. Save the feasting for weekends or special occasions.

Second, don’t take so much. Only fill your serving spoon or your plate about 80% of what you normally do. Or use smaller plates.

When you eat out, only eat half your meal, and take the other half home for another time (restaurant portions are way too big anyway). Or share.

The idea is not to deprive yourself of food, or to eat less food than your should. Just not to overfill yourself. You should always have room for a ‘wafer-thin mint’.

If you take a little less food and eat it slowly, you’ll feel the fullness sooner, and you’ll be more likely to stop eating before you get cram-packed full and miserable. You can clean your plate with a clean conscience (and stay out of trouble with Granny).


Dr. Vince