email this pageWe eat with our eyes more than you may realize. In fact, we are easily coaxed into eating more than we want—or need—by the size of our plate, the bulk of a box or who we’re with. Food psychologist Brian Wansink describes this in his entertaining book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (Bantam Dell, 2006). Based on his studies, here are ways these invisible cues may impact you:
- You’re likely to eat 53 percent more popcorn from a big bucket than a medium one.
- When dishing up ice cream, you may eat 57 percent more if you use a large bowl and scoop compared to smaller ones.
- If you grab a low-fat snack instead of a regular version, you’ll eat up to 50 percent more.
- You may consume 75 percent more calories if you eat with four people compared to dining alone.—Janet Helm, a registered dietitian in Chicago
When you’re homebound, the best way to experience a region’s food is through its community cookbooks. These books, usually nonprofit ventures with proceeds going to a charity, hospital or school, are still thriving. Three we particularly liked are the Palm Beach Palate Cookbook, which is sprinkled with anecdotes about Palm Beach, Fla., Entertaining with Friends Cookbook, reflecting Middle Tennessee where its beneficiary, Vanderbilt University Children’s Hospital is located, and Simply Colorado, which was assembled by dietitians in the Mountain State giving it the bonus of a nutrition analysis with every recipe. Go to www.palmbeachpalate.com for that book, www.amazon.com for the others.
The Big Easy
Were you one of the lucky girls on your block who got an Easy Bake Oven in 1963—the first year the child-size appliance was on the market? If so, it’s time to celebrate. The Easy Bake Oven has been named to the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y. “It’s safe, it works, and the best part is that the play makes its own reward,” says Strong Museum Curator Patricia Hogan. “Fifteen minutes in the oven and a slurpy, gooey, doughy concoction becomes a delicious—OK, edible—confection.” Over the past 44 years, more than 23 million ovens have been sold. With its induction into the Hall of Fame, the Easy Bake Oven joins the ranks of 35 other classic toys, including roller skates, jacks, Crayola Crayons, Lincoln Logs and marbles. Take that, Gameboy!
Almost Organic
UltraPure milk from Mountainside Farms in the Catskill Mountains is the first product to bridge the gap between conventional and organic milk. The new organic-like milk is free of synthetic hormones and antibiotics and undergoes a unique filtration process to clarify it prior to pasteurization. This creates a purer, better-tasting milk with the added benefit of longer shelf life—for a price that is just 45 cents more than conventional milk (and about $2 less than organic). The difference between Ultrapure and organic milk is that the individual family farms supplying the milk are not necessarily certified organic. It’s currently available in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Go to www.mountainsidefarms.com to find out more.
Make Your Calories Count
“The Hot Brown Sandwich (January 2007, www.relishmag.com), included as a way to provide calcium, contains nutritionally questionable ingredients like white bread and bacon and yields a whopping 30 grams of fat—sounds more like a recipe for obesity.”—Susan Wolbarst, Davis, Calif.
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