If you look at the plates in your cupboard, which plate do you chose to eat your meal with? The larger plate and cup or a smaller plate and cup. If you chose the Larger plate and cup, you chose the serving size of the average American, according to atleast one study.

Lets say you chose the smaller plate and cup, one day. Not only would you decrease the amount of food you eat, thus keeping your weight down, but you would increase the amount of food left in the house and therefore also increase your savings in groceries. By eating less, let's say you dont go back for seconds on a meal, you increase the time it takes to use up food.

For instance, if I eat ice cream once a day, I will go through the Ice cream faster by using a larger cereal bowl as opposed to a smaller custard bowl. And I will get to eat the Ice Cream at least one day longer with the smaller custard bowl. Frankly, I like my Ice cream lasting as long as possible.

A friend of mine had the gastric bypass done, that is where they surgically make your stomach about 2 ouces in size. She HAD to eat smaller portions sizes due to her stomach not handling larger ones and thus making her sick. She said her grocery bill for food went from around $150 a month to no more than $75 a month. If she bought too much food, it would just spoil (no freezer).

I thought this would be a great way to save money and the chance to control my weight better- Why dont I just drop down in portion size for eating, without having to put out the money for a surgery. It seems to be working, at first I would go back for seconds. However, over time I have stopped getting seconds, and this has allowed my stomach to adjust where I dont do that anymore. It may be due to eating slower as well as savoring the little amount of food I do eat.

Here is my challenge; when you set the table for dinner, dont put out the big plates. Instead, use the smaller desert plates for the meal. Seconds are fine, but I think you would be surprised at how much food you will end up having for leftovers.