Are You A Member Of The ‘Clean Plate Club’?
I am. Well, I used to be.
When I was a child growing up, if I had any food left on my plate after dinner, I wasn’t allowed to leave the table, never mind even think of having dessert!
My parents tried all sorts of tactics. “Eat your dinner, and you’ll get ice cream/ cake/ chocolate mousse.” Yum, my favourite. And they knew it!
Or the guilt trip, “eat up, there are starving children in Africa”. Oh no, I’d better clear my plate then. And so I did, unfortunately too young to realise the flaw in their logic. Never quite working out how me clearing my plate helped a starving child somewhere else in the world, but doing what they told me to.
Fast forward 30 years and right up until a couple of years ago, I was still doing it, clearing my plate at every meal. And perhaps you do it too?
Think about it, when is the last time you left any food on your plate? If you’re like most people, you’re used to eating every last morsel in front of you, even when you’re full.
Well, I’ve learned you don’t have to. What a revelation. How freeing. And my waistline has undoubtedly thanked me for it.
But it wasn’t easy. At first.
Why Is It So Hard?
Let’s face it, leaving food on your plate feels wrong. Even sinful perhaps? What a waste. You can’t possibly throw food away, right? Wrong. Of course, you can. Eating food that you don’t need is just as wasteful as throwing it out.
How is eating something your body no longer wants or needs better than throwing food away into the trash? And if it makes you feel better, give it to your dog or put it in the composter.
Maybe it’s an unconscious need? Perhaps like me, your parents told you that you couldn’t have dessert if you didn’t finish your Brussels sprouts. Ugh. Now not only do you have a love-hate relationship with Brussels sprouts, but you’ve also linked pleasure and reward to emptying your plate and getting some treat as a result.
And as your brain is always seeking to increase pleasure and reduce pain, now it feels good to empty your plate, like you’ve done the right thing. And so now every time you do, your brain releases feel-good chemicals and gives you a metaphorical pat on the back — you good girl you.
Perhaps you’ve been eating a fabulous dinner in a restaurant, and you think it might be an insult to the chef if you don’t clear everything on your plate? What will my friends think? Will they judge me? So what! When your waiter takes your plate away, you can tell him the food was delicious, but you’ve had enough. And as for your friends, if they’re your friends, they’ll understand. Or at the very least, get over it. Especially when they see you sitting comfortably full after dinner, while they groan and try to loosen the top button of their jeans without anyone noticing.
And of course, money. Perhaps you’ve linked clearing your plate to a financial excuse. I’ve paid all this good money so now I HAVE to eat all the food. But you know what, you don’t. Think how much money you’ve spent on diet programs, and pills, and shakes, and retreats. Now THAT is a waste of money.
You Don’t Have To Do It!
You don’t have to clear your plate. And again, whether you eat what’s on your plate or you throw it away, either way, you’re not getting your money back. So get rid of it and perhaps just dish up a bit less next time.
But yeah I get it, it’s a habit you’ve had for a lifetime, and it may not be easy to break. So what do you need to do to resign from the clean plate club once and for all?
HERE'S WHAT WORKED FOR ME:
Start Small
When you’re eating your next meal, try leaving one mouthful of whatever it is that you’re eating. Just leave one thing, one bite. That’s all you have to do to get started. Doing this will send a message to your brain that you’re in charge and you’re breaking the habit. And soon, if you practice leaving a mouthful at the end of every meal, you will find it easier to stop eating when you notice you’ve had enough.
Be Mindful When Serving Yourself
A study conducted by Cornell University[1] found that roughly 92% of the food you dish up for yourself, you’ll eat. So if it’s on your plate, and you’re the one that put it there, chances are you’re going to eat it all. So this presents an excellent opportunity to be mindful when dishing up for yourself, just what and how much food you’re putting on your plate.
Dish Up Smaller Portions
Practice dishing up smaller portions. Try using a smaller plate, so the portion of food doesn’t look quite so small. Or if it helps, dish up your usual share, and then scoop half of it right back off and into a container for your lunch tomorrow. There, no waste. And if you’re still hungry when you’re done, you can always go back and dish up a little more.
Allow No Distractions
Eat your meals with no other distractions. That’s right. No telly, no iPad, no phone, not even a good old-fashioned book. Focus on the meal that’s in front of you. That way you will really taste and enjoy your food, rather than eating while distracted and barely noticing what you're eating, never mind the signals from your body telling you it's had enough.
Slow Down
Eat slowly and mindfully, focussing on the taste of every bite. Slowing down the speed at which you eat will help make you more mindful of how you feel when you’re eating, and make you more aware of the signals your body sends to tell you when it’s had enough. And it might even help you realise that perhaps you’re not actually enjoying what you’re eating that much, and you were only eating it because it was in front of you.
Remove Tempting Leftovers
And if you do insist on eating your meals on the couch watching telly, when you put your plate aside after eating enough, don’t leave it there. The temptation will be there to keep nibbling on the leftovers. And the next thing you know, you’ll have eaten it all, anyway. Get up, put the leftovers away for another meal. And then get back on the couch and continue what you were doing.
What Else?
What other tips do you have for breaking this habit? To allow you to resign from the clean plate club for good? I’d love to read about what’s worked for you in the comments below.
Last updated: 24/06/2022
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