Small plate trick? Fuhgiddaboudit. I need a BIG plate when it comes to staying slim.
The headline you just read is not an error. I mean big plate, big time ;-). I never took to the “small plate” trick. I’d just go back for seconds.
Sound counter intuitive? I can explain. I’ve even got pictures to prove it.
Obviously, whoever invented the “small plate trick” doesn’t eat the volume of high quality, nutrient-dense food that I do.
Let your appetite be your guide
I mean mountains of colorful veggies, big chunks of fruit, steamy potatoes, whole grains and legumes in piles. And a flavorful dash of nuts, seeds, and condiments.
This allows me to eat highly satisfying quantities of all kinds of goodies.
Edibles that fill my belly, satisfy appetite, and just plain make my body systems work better.
I’ve already shown you a food diary for a couple of days in my (Food) Diary of a (Totally) Sane Fit Coach: A day-in-the-life of my eats. That particular post has gotten a lot of attention – I mean, who doesn’t like to look at all of that colorful food – not to mention eat it?!
So I figure, while I have your attention, I can elaborate upon why this way of eating serves me so well when it comes to staying trim. Without going hungry.
Let’s Start With My Breakfast
This satisfying display – I took the snapshot of my bowl (see above) before diving in – is a heap of old fashioned rolled oats with raisins, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, walnuts, and a sprinkle of grainy sugar with a splash of almond milk.
This was a true “grand slam” breakfast with all the macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate) along with a powerful dose of the phytonutrients and color: vitamins and minerals. And it has probably just about 450 calories, give or take, including my morning java.
And as it is SO full of fiber (another essential phytonutrient!), it was very satisfying, and lasting. Not to mention a boatload of fun to eat.
I hope this inspires you to make your breakfasts more deliciously fun!
How about lunch? I kept the camera on the kitchen counter so you wouldn’t miss out.
My Big Plate Lunch
It takes a little bit of chopping but is SO worth the effort when it comes out as delicious, satisfying, and filling as this!
My lunch sounds simple: salad and sandwich. But I’ve got no fewer than 10 veggies and fruits involved here. Carrots, cabbage, apples, broccoli slaw, jicama, cilantro, celery, purple onion, avocado, edamame…hope I didn’t leave anyone out!
Oh, and there are garbanzo beans in there as well. And some sunflower seeds sprinkled on top.
And we never got around to the oranges. Too full.
When you eat like this, you can ease up on worrying about the calories. The content takes care of this for you.
With so much fiber, high water content, and satisfying quantity and quality, you can focus on nutritional density and less on caloric density. The calorie count of this entire meal is somewhere between 500 and 600 calories.
Oh, and dinner? Well, we needed TWO plates each. The pile of salad greens just wouldn’t fit on the plate with the steamed veggies and brown jasmine with wild rice and barbecued tofu.
There you have it! The details of the big plate trick.
All I need now is a blog you can scratch and sniff!
© Lani Muelrath All Rights Reserved
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I love it!!! SO much more satisfying than tiny portions on a salad plate… so many more nutrients, too. Thanks for the tip!
Melissa, sounds like we would do GREAT on a lunch date!
Katherine, let me know how it goes!
Thank you both for coming into comments for some conversation!
Enjoy what you eat,
Lani
Ok, last night for dinner I used a huge flat bowl filled with brocolli, asparagus, mixed frozen (snap beans, carrots, more broc and water chestnuts) – added edamame and some walnut pieces, and some sweet potatoe, and about 1 oz cheese. Wonderful, filling, and all I had later on was a cup of tea and another oz of cheese (low fat lactose free both times btw). I think, Lani, with your help, I am finding the right way for me to eat. This article, with its visuals, really helped me! Now tomorrow I will create some hot cereal with steel cut oats, red river, maybe add cream of wheat, and stevia for sweetener.
Thx again!
-Paym
Paym,
Sounds like you’re cooking this week, yum! I’ll be right over!
Honestly, I think you are onto something here and it sounds like it’s all setting right with you and your bod.
Which reminds me, MUST be off to market today for veg restock!
Lani
Lani,
Your salad looks marvelous (even for someone who doesn’t *do* veggies very much). Would you share the recipe? Do you put a dressing on it?
Thanks!!
Debbie
Hi Debbie!
And it IS yummy – glad my pic is enticing!
I have a couple of favorites: a base of Follow Your Heart mayo with some onion flakes soaked in a bit of water and then stirred in to taste. Sometimes I’ll use Italian, really any favorite dressing will do and it doesn’t take a heavy hand with all the flavor and crunch!
Let me know what you come up with!
Lani
Sounds good to me. I’ll have to try the big plate trick.
Katherine
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