TIP - check your serving vessel size

I like WPB's salad dressing tip and wanted to add one we like

Use smaller plates/bowls/etc. Part of feeling satisfied is visual. Open space on your plate looks empty and leaves you wanting more so you'll pile on more food to fill it or go back for a second helping. There was actually a study done where people were given 2 different size bowls (both more than adequate) and access to ice cream. Those with the large bowls took more dessert (and finished it) than those with smaller bowls, and the amounts they took were roughly in proportion.

Over the years, the average dinner plate has increased significantly in diameter (just take a look at antique china and how much smaller the plates and cups are). What we use today would have been considered a platter years ago.

And shapes can be deceiving. I normally serve our soup in bowls and fill to the bottom line of the design. I can get 4 bowls out of a carton of Pacific tomato or roasted red pepper soup. For a change I grabbed the coffee mugs that go with that set, which aren't oversize. Filling to what appeared to be a nice-size mug, I only got 2 1/4 mugs of soup out of the same size carton. No more mugs of soup for us!