The next step in your journey to a more healthful lifestyle is to be mindful about portion sizes.

An easy way to control how much you eat is to swap out your 11 inch dinner plates for a luncheon, salad, or a dessert plate that is a couple inches smaller.

The relationship between dishware size and portion size has been a topic of discussion over the past decade. Most people are aware that portion sizes have skyrocketed in restaurants, plate sizes can span from 12 to 14 inches! But have you ever measured the plates in your cupboards? Most modern dinner plates range from 10.5 to 12 inches.

Researches in Australia have used mathematical models to compare 8 inch plates to 10 inch plates. They have found that the larger plates held 67% more calories than the smaller ones. 

So, if you take more, will you eat more and eventually weigh more? For most people, the answer is yes. 

Most people are members of the clean plate club, according to researchers at Cornell University. On average we consume 92% of what we serve ourselves. That two inch reduction in plate diameter alone can add up to major savings in calories and eventual weight loss over time.

Take advantage of this visual “”trick” and don’t worry about losing your membership to the clean plate club!