SFH #104: Dinner Plate Science

Go small or get served (a lot of food) 🍽

I love eating off my kiddo's plates. They have fun designs, and I can use the science of portion control to my healthy advantage.

Here is some fascinating information about plate sizes and our consumption.

The average size of the American dinner plate has increased 22% over the last century, from 9.62 inches to 11.75 inches.

From the calculation above, we consume an extra 50 calories a day, which equates to an extra 5 lbs of food per year.

In Europe, the average plate measures 9 inches, while some American restaurants use plates around 13 inches in diameter.

Research has shown that by switching to a 10-inch plate from a 12-inch plate, you eat 22 percent less.¹

A larger plate leads to more food intake (duh 🙄 ), we will consume on average 92% of what we serve ourselves.

And here's my favorite, we sense a large gap between the edges of the serving size and the plate. This is the Delboeuf illusion. We’re tricked into thinking the serving size is smaller than its actual size and we compensate by overserving.²

Now that you armed with this knowledge, maybe try out some fun kid’s flatware.🤪

1. https://rightpathfitness.co.uk/small-plate-movement

2. https://fs.blog/2011/11/why-you-eat-too-much-the-delboeuf-illusion/