This guest blog is submitted by Elizabeth Snell, B.Sc., RD, Consulting Dietitian, Toronto.

If you want to reduce your food intake, eat more slowly and serve smaller portions of food. Many people overeat simply because they eat too quickly. There is approximately 20 minutes from the time food is consumed until the appetite sensors in the body start to signal that the stomach is full. The following strategies may assist you in eating slowly:

1) Start the meal with warm soup or a warm broth.

2) Use a salad fork at dinner instead of a dinner fork.

3) Use a teaspoon for soup and cereal instead of a soup spoon.

4) Eat stir-fries with chopsticks instead of a fork.

5) Cut food into small pieces and eat with a small-size knife and fork.

6) Include foods at lunch or dinner that take a long time to eat such as raw vegetables, steamed vegetables and vegetable soups.

7) Concentrate on talking during a meal to actually consume a smaller quantity of food.

8) Listen to soft, realaxing music at mealtime (when upbeat, quick-tempo music played, people tend to eat faster and more.)

9) Light a candle on the table as this will mesmerize you just enough to eat slower.

10) Put down your knife and fork between bites.

11) Thoroughly chew your food. Count your bites and the number of times you put your utensils down. (Ratio of forkfuls to swallows is a way of keeping track of how well you are adopting this behaviour pattern.)

12) Never wash down food with a liquid. Instead, chew your food until it is the texture of a thick soup.

Transcribed by John Bart.