Here’s Why Eating Smaller Portions Of Food Will Help You Enjoy It More

Let’s start by discussing two food experiences that we’re sure you’ve encountered. First; the fact that many high end restaurants tend to serve smaller portion sizes at higher costs. While customers may complain at the get go, by the end of their meal they walk away satisfied and find themselves visiting the restaurant again and again.

The second phenomena is that most people tend to enjoy desserts; a slice of chocolate cake or a bowl of tiramisu far more than they enjoy eating the carbs and proteins in their main course.

There could be a variety of reasons for these two situations; high end restaurants use ingredients of a better quality and hire better chefs which makes them more popular, while the sugar in desserts activates the pleasure centres in our brain like no other foods can do. While these arguments are true, new research suggests yet another reason why we enjoy some meals more than others; portion size.

(Smaller) Size Does Matter!

Yann Cornil, a professor at the Sauder School of Business and researcher Pierre Chandon studied the sensory aspect of food; when people begin to appreciate the taste, the smell, the sight and the texture of the foods they are more likely to enjoy it more. As they continue eating the same food, their value for the sensory experience goes down and thus, they enjoy the food less.

“It’s the relationship between the sensory enjoyment of food and the quantity you eat. The first few bites are the most pleasant. The more you eat, the more pleasure will decrease — we experience that phenomenon every time,” Cornil said to Vancourver 24 Hrs.

Say No To Supersizing

Subsequently, the research team is focused on fighting against ‘supersizing’ foods; a concept that is especially popular in America, where fast food restaurants offer larger portions for a dollar or two extra. These massive portions, the researchers argue, take away from the sensory experience and will make people eat more and therefore lead to problems like obesity.

How about you try approaching food as a sensory experience? Not only will you enjoy food more – you’ll also eat less food and help yourself lose weight. Sound like a win win!