Saturday, 30 January 2010
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Do You Have Clean Plate Syndrome?
I believe that clean plate syndrome is very typical and common in North American culture. We finish every bite of food on our plates because we have a reluctance to waste food. When I grew up, people often told me to "think of the children in third world countries who are starving!" However, with today's restaurant portion sizes, the habit of always cleaning one's plate can easily lead to weight gain.One thing that I noticed while I was living in Hong Kong was that people often left behind a little bit of food on their plates at restaurants. I rarely saw people finish their entire meals. I believe this cultural difference may be due to the fact that leaving some food behind on your plate indicates that you are wealthy enough to not have to care about food wastage. It also shows that you really are full -- if you finished everything on your plate, technically you could have eaten more right? Where is your threshold?
What are the benefits of leaving a couple of bites behind when you are served such large portions? Even if it saved you only 50 calories, it may not seem like much, but this is an easy way to cut calories without feeling deprived. Cutting only 50 calories per day would save you 18250 kcal per year. This equates to more than five pounds lost oh-so-effortlessly!
Some quick tips to preventing clean plate syndrome:
- Remind yourself that your body is not a trash can! Do you dislike wasting food because you feel it is a waste of money? Well if you constantly overeat, you are purchasing larger medical bills and a greater risk for cardiovascular disease!
- Use a smaller plate. Don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach!
- Invest in plastic containers and box up your leftovers in meal size portions. Ask for a take-out box at restaurants and place half of your meal away for tomorrow's lunch. Out of sight = out of mind!
- Got too many cookies or baked goods lying around? Offer them to your friends and colleagues! People won't know whether to love or hate you.
Do you find that clean plate syndrome is part of you or your own culture?
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Comments (203)
yes!
yes, I totally do this. I actually really appreciate this entry as a reminder. even last night I was tempted to finish what was on my plate so I didn't waste it until my boyfriend asked me 'are you really hungry or are you just doing that not to throw it out" I realized I wasn't hungry, and he finished it for me, since he was!
I don't finish everything on my plate. Is that even possible with the huge American serving sizes? What I don't finish I do usually take to go though.
Definitely. I definitely have clean plate syndrome.
In Egyptian culture, we do the same thing as done in Hong Kong, but for some different reasons. To leave some food on your plate is sort of appreciation of hospitality, like if I go over someone's house and have a meal with him, I leave some food on my plate to show that I have eaten well, and have been given more than enough food.
I've never heard of this concept before. Thank you!
Martha
Oh yes it is, reinforced by my grandma haha. Lately though I haven't felt as pressured to finish my plate if I can't eat it.
very true =]
@zoedark - Some men have such crazy high metabolisms... although it's not nice to think of them as a "garbage can", it can help you eat more sensibly!
@i_Nutrition - haha yeah he probably shouldn't be eating much more either, but at least it was just salad! hopefully eventually i'll start making/cooking less and that will save me money anyway, so i won't have to throw anything out :) just a habit i need to get into.
@liferemainsbeautiful - Thanks for sharing that tidbit about Egyptian culture! I find that very interesting that there is a similarity to Hong Kong culture regarding this issue.
I never finish my food. Most of the time I sneak some onto my boyfriend's plate. haha
good advices!
yes i do clean my plate up. cuz i remind myself not to waste food.. haha.
but i don't wanna get fat anymore :(
I actually dont do this often.
score!)
One time, I went out to eat with some Japanese exchange students(
Afterwards she talked about how full she was. She said: "I was full, but I just kept eating"
And I said "So I guess you're American now." :P
My husband is the worst! He hates to waste food and always jokes that if he leaves any rice in the bowl it means he will have an ugly wife =P haha
@lil_squirrel4ever - haha I have never heard of this one! I heard that you will get one pimple for every grain of rice you leave behind in your bowl. Does it work the other way around? If you dont' finish your rice, do you get an ugly husband?
@Gerald_Washington - Hahahahahaha! Oh no!
@i_Nutrition - Yeah, although it's a privileged in Eastern cultures, it obviously doesn't lead to gluttony like in America =P You should submit this to HealthKicker. Have you ever posted there?
I am apart of the clean plate club, and I can't help it. I hate knowing that little bit was wasted even when it sits on my hips later.
If the food is right in front of me, then I will eat it. It's like it's pulling me or taunting me just cuz it's there! Great tips & advice. thanks!!
Yes, I do agree with you. I think I have the clean plate syndrome, I feel guilty leaving food behind and like you mentioned, my eyes are usually bigger than my stomach. Good tips though, I just need to remind myself of these tips whenever I see food in front of me
very true, i hv this syndrome as well...:S
I often try to finished all the food in my plate / bowl, since I don't like the idea of wasting food. So if dinning out, then I would order what I can eat, not more food then I can eat.
Definitely. I always finish what's on my plate.
haha i dooo! but no one else i know does...
I always finish my plate! If not I put the food in a box/bag to take home. Think of the starving children in Africa!
Clean plate syndrome could not describe me better.
I always finish my food. If I don't want to be stuffed, I put less on my plate and not waste. Saving 50 calories is not worth throwing away food. You're body's not a trash can, but you also have to respect food and those who don't have the luxury of "leaving a little on your plate so you look wealthy."
How about you put whatever food you can eat on your plate (and I'm sure as adults you know you capabilities) and what you would have thought of throwing away, think of it as food you're going to [figuratively] save. All the small bites add up to a meal easily in a week or so. Go buy a meal to feed a child in the homeless shelter, calorie counting, wealthy people.