Everyday Systems

Well, I went out and bought myself a 9" (plastic) plate that is divided into 3 sections. It is not a thing of great beauty, but I really enjoyed my lunch today- my salad was not touching my lentil stew, which in turn was not touching my bread, but it all went on 1 (non-virtual) plate. The best thing was that 1 plate of satisfying food looked like a reasonable amount, and it was!
Does anyone else have any physical stuff that contributes to successful N meals, that you'd like to share about?

osoniye wrote:Well, I went out and bought myself a 9" (plastic) plate that is divided into 3 sections. It is not a thing of great beauty, but I really enjoyed my lunch today- my salad was not touching my lentil stew, which in turn was not touching my bread, but it all went on 1 (non-virtual) plate. The best thing was that 1 plate of satisfying food looked like a reasonable amount, and it was!
Does anyone else have any physical stuff that contributes to successful N meals, that you'd like to share about?

Sweet mother of mercy, yes.

Bento boxes. (Though this picture is really just a 750ml gladware container, I do have Japanese boxes as well)



I love bento. They're fun and special and, packed with the barest breath of forethought, very No-S friendly, indeed.

I take pictures of most of my meals just as I'm sitting down to eat--
lunch and dinner, that is. (Breakfast is nearly always the same and I'm
too sleepy to bother with photographing first thing in the morning).
I find that this habit helps very much with mindful eating.

If I'm having something runny, like stew for example, I place it in a
medium-size bowl onto the plate (I would say that takes up about
half the plate). If I'm eating yogurt, I place it in a small container
(custard cup) and then right onto the plate. My plates are 10" size.
When I eat salad, I fill half the plate with salad, and then whatever
else takes up the other half of my plate.

Congrats to all three of you for creative and clear NoS helps. Neat stuff, thanks for starting this thread Sonya!

Yes, I do! I too have three Corelle 8" divided plates that I use and love. You can still get them on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Corelle-Livingwar ... ided+plate

I also have what I call my "NoS jewelry" that I got for myself as rewards along the "weigh" to reaching my goal:

http://www.palmbeachjewelry.com/product ... -40627.cfm
This ring reminds me that three meals = a green day

http://www.palmbeachjewelry.com/index.c ... =elephants
I have the oval good luck elephant jade ring, but mine was sterling silver and much less expensive. I look at it and think that elephants never forget, so neither should I...to have a green day, that is!

Corny, I'm sure you're thinking, but these things have worked for me.

Oh, and one more thing...I keep a little notebook (index cards) in my purse filled with inspirational sayings. (I kind of adapted an idea from The Beck Diet Solution where you use cards with predetermined strategies on them.) Anyway, the book is filled and takes about 10 minutes or more to read through them all - just enough time for bad feelings to pass and to get inspired again. This has helped me tremendously and many of the sayings came from this very site. (Sorry the picture imported sideways




So, maybe these ideas might help someone out there. Hope so!
Mimi

Great idea!

It occurs to me that I've seen lots of divided plates in thrift shops--usually in sets, many quite attractive and with a vintage-y feel. They tend to have higher edges than typical dinner plates, which is always a plus for keeping foods separated... they must have been popular for cocktail parties and buffets before paper wares took over for entertaining a crowd.

I use salad plates or a divided child's plate. It really helps me. At first it seems small but before I'm finished, I'm already full.

Really like "old ways won't open new doors" Mimi!

Thanks for all the plate ideas.

If you don't really like the plastic one, Corelle makes 9 and 10" divider plates in white frost. Very pretty and great for people like me who still don't like their food touching! The worst is mashed potatoes next to cranberry sauce! Ewwy!!!!

Noel, do you heat your lunches, eat them cold/room temp? I have a couple of cute little bento boxes, but mostly I use round glass containers and heat them on a mini crock pot.

I'm very seasonal with my food - (not intentionally, it just happens) and cold food is starting to appeal more to me.

Dandelion wrote:Noel, do you heat your lunches, eat them cold/room temp? I have a couple of cute little bento boxes, but mostly I use round glass containers and heat them on a mini crock pot.

I'm very seasonal with my food - (not intentionally, it just happens) and cold food is starting to appeal more to me.

Bento are meant to be eaten at room temperature, traditionally. That said, yes, of course people do heat them. If you're interested, I think Just Bento, especially Bento Basics is some of the best writing out on the Internet about it.

I got very interested in Bento a few years ago when my son was younger, but for myself, I tend to think of food as cold or hot - but not usually in between. The ideas on the website may spark some new ideas. I have three little bento boxes that I would like to use more often.

I have found divided plastic containers at thrift shops for years, but I use those only for portable food. I once dieted with 40:30:30 principles and the proportions stuck, though often with more freggies, so that is what most of my plates look like. Like others, I put various sized bowls on plates according the content of the bowl- soup, stew, yogurt.

I like the idea of a divided plate, thank you.

I shall look out for one at the second hand stores.

I also like the notes. I stick inspirational quotes in the kitchen cupboards where I can see them when I open them, but I hadn't thought of putting them in a notebook in my bag.

Benni

Thanks to all who posted your ideas on this thread. I really enjoyed reading them all, and marvel at the variety of ideas!
I know there are new folks who might have more to add here, so I look forward to hearing more good ideas!

Wow---I had no idea that regular (i.e., not plastic) divided plates even existed! Thanks, Nay-Nay, for pointing it out. I'm going to get one!

For me, eating is a pleasure. The beauty and flavor of the food are so enjoyable, and that is all the more true for me when I am eating off of plates and bowls that are beautiful. So I use my lovely small plates and bowls instead of one large plate. It would make me sad to not use these beautiful things regularly. Several small blue handmade pottery bowls, gifts from a dear friend, are not only beautiful but remind me of our friendship. A lunch of cottage cheese, berries, and a half sandwich finds me eating the cottage cheese and berries from two of the small blue bowls, and the half sandwich from a special small plate: either an intricately patterned Polish pottery one, or a small handmade pottery plate decorated with a rabbit. I eat it all at one meal, and always make sure that everything would easily fit on one larger plate. Doing this adds a measure of happiness to my new habits!

Hi xara- Welcome to the NoS boards and thanks for posting!
I think your plates and bowls sound delightful, and well in keeping with the spirit of NoS. Anything we can do to increase the enjoyment our meals seems to be on the right track to well balanced moderate eating.
I have found this thread so interesting and helpful, and am glad to see another addition- anyone reading this, feel free to add ideas!

Thanks for bumping this thread up to the top - it really made me think. I did get a tape measure out the other week, so measure my plates. The divided plate appeals to me and I'll keep a look out for one of those (probably a ceramic one like on the amazon link). I am fortunate that I don't have much weight to lose (or any in some people's mind!) - and am still in the early stages of establishing my No S habit. But I can see that my 'one plate' can start to spread out a bit with 'extras' that don't quite fit! I don't like to pile food up - so it tends to spread out sideways more than upwards!