Why You Should Eat With a Big Fork From a Heavy Bowl GOOD

When it comes to satisfying hunger, our brains are just as important as our bellies, and our perception of the amount of food we are eating has a powerful effect on how much we consume. So how does eating with a big fork or from a heavy bowl actually make people eat less?

GOOD Magazine wrote about a forthcoming study that looked at how the size of a diner's fork affected the amount of food eaten during a single meal. Those who used forks that were 20 percent bigger than normal actually ate less than those who used smaller-than-normal forks. Why?

Here's one theory: When eating with a small fork, each forkful hardly makes a dent in the dish. But with bigger forks, each bite marks measurable progress in the consumption of the meal.

Another forthcoming study shows that yogurt served in a heavy bowl is perceived as denser and more expensive than yogurt eaten from a lighter bowl. Is it possible to satisfy an ice cream craving by serving a smaller amount in a heavier bowl? We think it's worth a try.

• Check it out: Watch Your Mouth: Eat Lightly and Carry a Big Fork at GOOD

Have you adopted any habits like this to help control how much you eat?

(Image: Flickr member viZZZual.com licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (17)

I wish AT would go a little more in depth with these articles and link them so they open in another window or tab - it would make readability a lot easier.

I find the relationship between what we perceive and how satisfied/full we feel so fascinating. I wonder, though, whether one can get the same results by not filling the plate as full as we often do (thus making each forkful put a dent in the amount of stuff on the plate)?

asmallcontempt -- you know that by right clicking (or the equivalent; on my laptop it's clicking while holding down the command key) you can typically open any link in a new tab, right?

This is rather interesting.
Personally, I dislike eating with a big fork. Big forks always feel awkward in my hands and generally make eating unappealing. I use a small fork whenever possible.
I will also note that when there are no small forks available and I have no choice but to use a large one, the amount that goes onto my fork stays the same. The fact that I am a tedious eater may have something to do with it.

If eating at a slower pace is better for you, I'd think the opposite would be true here. The bigger the fork, the faster you can shovel it in.

Hmm. This is the exact opposite of my experience. I always eat my snacks and desserts with iced tea spoons or cocktail forks because I find the tiny bites force me to slow down, enjoy the dish, and they make it last longer, so I feel like I've eaten more. It's very satisfying.

Considering, most advice suggests we should eat more slowly to curb our consumption, eating with a large fork seems counter-productive. Rather than the results described here, I would think you would finish quickly and feel as though you didn't have enough!

asmallcontempt--you can open any link in a new tab by holding ctrl while clicking on the link.

I agree with asmallcontempt's second phrase of the sentence above -- "link them so they open in another window or tab" That would be helpful.
thank you,
enjoyed the article!

For me, the key is smaller plates and multiple components to a meal (either side dishes or courses). I've definitely noticed that when I have one thing as the meal, even if it's a stir fry that has a lot of different things in it, I tend to eat more. Seeing separate parts of a meal and tasting separate flavors, especially if served in courses, helps my brain register that I'm eating a lot.

Also, with ice cream, I always use a tiny spoon. It makes me take smaller bites and savor and fully taste each one.

I personally have to wholeheartedly agree with the big fork theory. I switched to using a smaller fork, which slows down my eating and gives my body and brain the time process and let me know when I'm full. Otherwise, with a big fork I eat everything on my plate in larger bites before my brain kicks in to let me know I'm full. So smaller means slower and that means less food for me.

As for the heavy bowl... well, I guess if you hold it that will tone a little muscle...right??!

yay for tiny spoons @foodefafa! Yes, I too always eat ice cream (and yogurt) with a tiny spoon. It's so much more enjoyable!

I find that if drink a full 8 oz glass of water and I measure my portions (and log my food daily), that I eat exactly what I need. I allow myself to eat slowly so I feel satisfied. Changing the way you look at things instead of tricking yourself (to me) has a more lasting result. I've already lost 6 lbs. in 6 weeks (healthy weight loss).

@livewiresav06, that sounds like a pain in the ass, honestly. i tried logging and got real sick of it real fast. i think the using smaller plate works well, otherwise you gotta mostly look at what it is that you are eating, not in what particular way you are eating it.

I completely agree with foodefafa- separating different kinds of food on my plate makes me fill up a lot faster than with a mixture. If there's only one component I wind up eating way more than I should! Then I'm usually miserably full.

a little tip for people with a windows-style OS - if you right click, you can either click "open in new tab" or press T on the keyboard, and the link will open in a new tab!

I use a smaller plate/bowl so it looks like a lot more food than it actually is. I also eat slower and actually enjoy my meal instead of inhaling it in 15 minutes!

my problem is eating too fast, i just don't realize in time that I've had enough...

so we try to eat most of our food with chopsticks, and it works :) even if I am really perfect with them, it takes more time to eat my food!

Sigh. I don't want to do extra WORK to open windows in a new tab. I want AT to cater to my laziness!

Seriously, though I usually troll the kitchn on my morning blog rounds, so when I see an article of interest I would rather it pop up (automatically, if possible!) in a new window and continue reading the kitchn. If I do it the way they have it set up I have to open the kitchn article, go directly to the page they've linked to (which sometimes links to an article that is crossposted from another AT site - unnecessary), and then go BACK to the kitchn and figure out where I left off.

It's not a big deal. I'm being a whiner. It's just that, for a website with such a focus on design and presentation, some of the usability is clunky.

@asmallcontempt: you can also set the options of your browser to do this for you whenever you click on a link. Yo can even have it set to open new links in a whole different window. It's a different set of steps for every browser, but none are difficult. You could google it and get it done in less than a minute. I don't think you're ever going to get AT on your side. Many folks on are the opposite side of this issue.

For people who wanna open stuff in new tabs, you know you can just press CTRL and click on a link right?