Using predictable irrationality to your benefit in holiday eating
Anyone who’s been around a holiday table (or a Christmas tree, at least in my family) knows that people don’t always make choices in their best interests; we tend to be irrational about things like eating too much and spending too much to get immediate pleasure without much thought of the future problems that might cause.
Economist Dan Ariely of MIT has put a lot of time into studying the predictable irrationality we humans often show, and he’s got one word for people who want to calm their irrationality when it comes to holiday eating: chopsticks.
Think smaller, and out of sight
Using chopsticks if you aren’t comfortable with them is a great way to slow yourself down and keep yourself from eating too much. Using smaller plates and utensils is also a good idea; I can attest that this works thanks to comments at my Thanksgiving table about the tiny plates (I was using my great aunt’s china) but just one person went back for seconds.
It’s also a good idea to keep the platters and bowls of food out of sight of the table if you’re trying not to eat too much. It makes sense that if you have to get up to get more, you’re less likely to do it.
What to eat and how much
Ariely says you should start your big meal with soup, in particular a broth-based soup rather than a creamy soup. This takes the option of eating a high-calorie starter away from your guests, and fills them up a bit so they’ll consume less in the main part of the meal.
Having fewer courses or fewer options on the table is also helpful, because people tend to eat more when they have more variety in front of them (which is why you always get so stuffed at buffets). Try to throw in some healthier, low-calorie but high-volume foods, and make sure everything on the table is homemade (no more canned cranberry sauce, or chips, crackers and cheese, for that matter) both to make the meal special and to limit calories.
If all else fails . . .
Ultimately, even economists agree that Thanksgiving, Christmas and all the other eating days to come are just one day, and you probably won’t ruin your health too much by overindulging a bit. But if you really want to ensure that you’re not making too many bad choices at your next holiday feast, Ariely has one last piece of advice: “Wear a very tight shirt.”
(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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