The Clean Plate Club

Mom always said to finish your plate before leaving the dinner table, so it's been ingrained in you from the start, but sometimes this isn't always the best thing. I'll be the first to admit, I am a member of the clean plate club. I am more than able to finish any plate of food that is put in front of me, and chances are, if it's in front of me, I'm going to eat it, even if I'm full (what can I say, I just love food!) This is a big part of the reason that dining out is difficult for many people (again, myself included!). The dishes that restaurants provide almost always contain more than the recommended portion size. While the recommended portion of meat/fish is around  3-4oz for the average person, restaurants tend to serve twice that amount! And while I will be perfectly satiated after consuming a 3-4oz portion of fish/meat, I could easily put away a 12oz steak if it's put in front of me, so I am no different than anyone else. The key here is know when you're full and don't make yourself a member of the clean plate club when eating out at a restaurant. Ever. Listen to your body- you don't have to fill every inch of your tummy with food- no need to walk out so stuffed you can barely move. Instead, learn to leave food over. If you have to, cut your meat in half when you order it and set half aside to take home (hello tomorrow's lunch!), do it! Or, ask the waiter from the get-go to only bring half the dish to the table and have the other half packaged to-go. And when preparing food at home, only put the amount you actually want to consume on your plate- if you're making enough to have leftovers, then put the leftovers away first, so you're not tempted! In this case, there's nothing wrong with being a proud member of the clean plate club :) Pin It