Quitting The Clean-Plate Club

Hey there! It's Vanessa. I've got a longer post than usual, but I feel that this pre-work will be super valuable even if can't make it to class. This week, we'll be talking all about Connecting (or Re-connecting) to Hunger and Fullness cues. To get you all in the mindset, I'd like to do a little thought experiment with you all, and it's based on a common refrain: the Clean Plate Club (CPC).

Finishing all the food on your plate, regardless of how much is there or how hungry you are, is for many a habitual pattern that can often evolve into an expectation. It's also an externally-based pattern and a barrier to connecting with your internal cues of fullness. This type of eating is also connected to consumption "norms" associated with packages of food, i.e. eating until the package/box/bag is empty. (Fun fact: I learned this week on a podcast that front-of-package design often includes a serving that is up to 3x the recommended portion size of a food! But I digress...)

So here's a self-evaluation exercise. It's designed to help you identify and evaluate what tendencies you may possess that have granted you entry in to the CPC. Read the statements below and choose what resonates with you.

1. I grew up in a large family, and meals were competitive. Food went on the table and we all had to grab our own. If I snoozed, I lost.

2. Growing up, I sometimes didn't know if/when there would be a next meal. So I ate everything I could when I could.

3. I was raised to know I could eat all that I wanted, but I had to finish what was on my plate or it was wasteful.

4. I'm usually STARVING when I sit down to eat.

5. I love buffets (or at least did before COVID). When visiting them, I always fill my plate, finish it, and then go back a few more times in order to get my money's worth.

6. When I was little, I didn't get dessert unless I cleaned my plate.

Now: review the scenarios that felt the most "you" and answer the following questions:

1. What percentage of time do you clean your plate?

2. Rarely

3. Less than 1/2 my meals

4. More than 1/2 my meals

5. All of my meals

2. If you are a clean plate eater, how difficult would it be to leave just 1 or 2 bites of food on your plate?

a. Not at all difficult

b. Somewhat difficult

c. Very difficult

Next: a practice activity. To break the tendency of automatically cleaning that plate or emptying that package, pause before all of the food is gone and try leaving just 1 or 2 bites of food uneaten. The purpose of this is of course to break the habit of eating without regard for your fullness or satiety level. To learn that there are likely no consequences to leaving that food. Also, this habit disruption, this pause, will help you create future pauses that can help you eat more mindfully and connect to future fullness levels.

See what happens - press pause!