Top 5 Ways to Eat Smaller Meals

1. When you get hungry you start having cravings. The cravings are usually for foods such as cookies, ice cream and chips. Have you ever had a craving for a tomato? You can go a long way in cutting these cravings out by eating healthy snacks between meals before you get hungry. If you are not hungry you can make better decisions about the foods you eat. Pick a time between breakfast and lunch and again between lunch and dinner to have a healthy snack (ex: salad, sandwich, fruit).

2. Drinking water can also fill you up to hold you until your next meal. You should not drink water for this one purpose. Having a water bottle around at all times and drinking it throughout the day will keep your stomach filled with a little bit of fluid. This can help you avoid cravings and unhealthy binges between meals.

3. When you go on your lunch break the temptation is there to grab a bite to eat at a fast food restaurant. Instead of going out for lunch, pack your own. Anything you bring from home will be smaller and healthier than what you get from a restaurant. Serving sizes at restaurants are so big they can account for three or four normal portions of food.

4. Eat food that is high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Fiber and complex carbs take a lot longer to digest and are are healthy to eat. This longer digestion time will result in a longer feeling of satiety which means you will eat less throughout the day.

5. Using smaller portions on smaller plates can trick you into thinking that you have eaten just as much. You can also use a big plate for salad and a small plate for the main coarse. This way, you will be eating a lot of low calorie foods (salad) while only a small amount of high calorie foods (main coarse).

For more ways on eating healthier and smaller meals, visit the Advanced Guide to Dieting. You can also see how others eat smaller meals or share your own advice at the diet forums.

Health Poll of the Week: Sometimes, those who are looking to lose weight skip breakfast in hopes of cutting calories. Do you eat or skip breakfast? Vote now. Remember, there's no need to register to vote and if you share your opinion, you could win an Amazon gift card.