Did you know that over the past 30-40 years, the size of dinner plates has increased, from about nine inches across in the past to about 12 inches across today?

I know that is true because  I bought a 120-year old home, and my dinner plates wouldn’t fit in the cabinets! I had to have custom made cabinets brought in to accommodate my china.

And restaurants!  Oh my gosh , they could save a fortune by downsizing their serving plates.  Norma and Sara and I went to the new Central Grill in Starkville for lunch on Friday.  We each took home a box bigger than the plate we ate for lunch.  Norma sprung for the tab, so I don’t know what it cost.  But I would have gladly sacrificed the extra food for a lower tab. It’s never as good left over.

Those extra three inches on 21st century plates might not sound like much, but studies have shown that when people have larger plates, they tend to pile more food and eat larger amounts, and people don’t often realize they are eating more.

In trying to manage the right portion sizes at meal time, try eating on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.  I have actually retired all my full-sized dinner plates and eat exclusively off salad plates.  Since I did that 13 years ago,  I’ve lost 55 pounds (on a diet)  and only gained 49 (off the diet).  See how that works?  But hey, it’s a net loss.

Try it. Your plate will look full and you’ll be eating smaller portions.  And less food means less caloric intake, which will help you lose weight!