If you need to lose weight it's all about cutting back on calories and you need all the help you can get. Consumer Reports ShopSmart says try "scaling back" your kitchen!
The obvious first move is to get fattening snacks like chips and cookies off the counter and out of sight.
ShopSmart's Sue Perry says your next move, rearrange the food in your cupboards!
"You want to move the healthy stuff to the front and the fattening stuff to the
back," Perry says.
Next stop...your refrigerator.
"Crisper drawers are great for keeping fruits and veggies fresher a little
longer, but you can't always see the food that's in them. So you want to take
that stuff and move it to where you can see it, " says Perry.
And put fresh fruit out on the counter in plain sight.
As for that crisper drawer, use it to tuck more fattening foods out of sight.
Use the same idea for leftovers. Use foil or containers that you can't see through to hide the fattening stuff. And use see-through bags and containers for the healthy things.
Then move on to your freezer.
"Rather than freeze big portions of food, like a whole pan of lasagna, freeze
food in individual portions, like a piece of chicken. It's ready to cook when
you are, but you're not forced to cook a whole lot of it," Perry says.
When it's time to eat, scale back there too, using smaller dishes. They encourage smaller portions. Also, lower the lights and the air conditioning because bright lights and cooler temperatures can increase your appetite. And it's important to focus on the food you're eating - forget watching TV or reading. Instead, watch the clock because eating more slowly can also help you cut down on how much you eat.
