Diet | Detective: Diet Lessons You Can Learn from Eating with Etiquette
Diet Lessons You Can Learn from Eating with Etiquette
Eating with manners can certainly be helpful if you’re trying to make a decent impression on a date, at a business meeting or on any social occasion – it might even help keep a marriage together. According to Robin Abrahams, The Boston Globe’s manners expert (www.boston.com/missconduct), “The writer Peg Bracken, in her 1960s etiquette book I Try to Behave Myself, explained that ‘[T]he raison d’etre of table etiquette is to make the fairly unattractive spectacle of ingesting food as unobjectionable as possible.’” However, there is an even better reason to eat with etiquette: It can help you to lose weight. Here are a few table manners that will help you look better in two ways – your waistline and your eating style.
Don’t Talk with Your Mouth Full
OK, this is obvious, but just take a peek around the next time you’re at a restaurant – most people have forgotten or choose to ignore this classic rule. “No one likes to see a mouth stuffed full of food -- especially if the mouth is also attempting to talk. Do put down your fork or chopsticks occasionally and direct your attention to the conversation," says Abrahams.
“Not only will this remind your dining partners that the food is but an excuse for their company -- not the other way around -- but it will give your body a break in which it can tell you, ‘We've had enough, thanks,’” says Abrahams. When you eat with your mouth closed you typically take smaller bites, and as result you probably will not eat as much. Also, research shows that chewing with your mouth open, swallowing air or a large quantity of food, and eating too fast are the main causes of indigestion, acid reflux and heartburn.
Smaller is Better
According to Susan Fox, the founder of Etiquette Survival and author of Etiquette for Dummies (Wiley, 2007), the rule is to not take more on your plate than you can eat. Overeating is bad for your health, and it isn’t polite to overload your plate. Keep your portions small; you can always take more if you wish, says Fox. We tend to clean our plate – whatever is on it we eat. So, by keeping portions small, and having to make a conscious decision to get more, you’ll eat less.
Also, when you’re at someone’s home, it’s considered good manners to leave a bit on your plate to let the hostess know she’s prepared more than enough food. Don’t leave all of any one food however, or your hostess will think — probably with reason — that you didn’t like it.
Be Formal
“Eating is not swallowing ‘something’ because it’s 6:00 at night and it’s mealtime; it’s enjoying the food, the guests and your friends,” says Michele Wilson, creator of the DVD Manners by Michele: Restaurant Etiquette and Wines Plus How to Set the Table.
Always prepare a nice table for dinner – even if you’re eating alone. “Make the effort to have nice place mats or a tablecloth. Add some flowers that will complement the color of the tablecloth. Add the glass for the wine, if any, and a glass for the water. Do not forget the napkin always placed at the left side of your dinner plate,” says Wilson. You should even try some smooth music to add to the ambiance. “Everything should shine, including the silverware,” she adds. And, yes, this may seem over-the-top – but it works. Maybe getting just a little more formal than eating right out of the container while standing by the fridge would work, too.
You have the decor, now dress the part. Don’t eat in sweat pants. Put on a nice outfit, and make it clear that you’re eating. You don’t have to do this every night – just most nights. Appreciating the food you eat means you eat consciously, and as a result eat healthier foods, and less food altogether.
Keep it Straight:
“You need to pay attention to your posture and body language. During the meal, keep both feet flat on the floor or cross your feet at the ankles. Don’t cross your legs at the knees, and don’t prop your feet on chair rungs or table legs or wrap them around anything handy under the table,” says Fox. She also recommends that you sit up straight on the front three-quarters of your chair. “This way, you shouldn’t have to bend over your food; you can simply bring your utensils to your mouth. Don’t rush when you lift your food from the table to your mouth. Don’t bend closely over your plate or try to meet your utensils halfway.” This will make you a more conscious eater. That means you’ll also be more aware of how much you’re eating.
Stay Balanced
According to Fox, you should keep pace with others at the table; do not eat too slowly or too quickly. “Dining is about balance. Everyone should be doing the same thing about the same time. Watch and be aware of the other diners. You do not want to be sitting there with an empty plate when everyone else still has food left and a ways to go,” says Fox. Not eating too quickly, and being consciously aware of what you’re eating help to control consumption. Your stomach will finally get a chance to catch up with your mind – you’ll realize how much you’ve eaten, and eat less.
However, “It's human nature to mimic others' eating behavior, so be aware of this when you go out with people who routinely eat or drink more than you are comfortable with. If everyone else wants dessert, order a cup of decaf or herbal tea so that they'll feel you're keeping them company. If you order only an appetizer or salad, make sure it's brought out with the dinner,” says Abrahams.
Stick to Your Own Plate
Not only is it considered bad manners to reach across the table and pick a tempting morsel off your dining companion’s plate, but also, those little “tastes” can add up to a lot of extra calories.
Leave It Alone
Leave your plate where it is when you are finished with the meal. Seeing the remains (even if it is just sauce) keeps you aware of what you just consumed. The server will know to remove it if you have placed your utensils across the plate in the rest position.
Don’t Dip
Fox advises against dipping, dunking or wiping sauces with your bread. The only time dipping is acceptable is if there’s a small dish of olive oil on the table to use in place of butter or if you’re eating a fondue. Otherwise, dipping and dunking are not only bad manners, but those gravies, sauces and the bread can also add up to lots of extra calories, says Fox.
American Way
“If you want to use the ‘American way’ of eating, you will put your left hand on your lap (and not scratching your leg or your foot). When you eat, you will cut a small piece of food, put your knife on the corner of your plate, put the fork, until now in your left hand, into your right hand, and eat. You do not cut the whole portion of food at one time (as your mother did when you were a child). It’s always one piece at the time,” says Abrahams. And this also holds true for buttering your bread or roll. Break off a small bite, butter and eat it, then butter and eat another small bite. Eating this way slows you down and allows your stomach a chance to “feel” the food.
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CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder and editor of DietDetective.com, the online source for nutrition, fitness, food, diet and wellness information. Copyright 2008 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com
