Research has now proved that there is a direct correlation between what we eat and the plate we eat it on. In this new study, scientists have found that people tend to eat more when the food is served on a similarly colored plate. Similarly, if the food is served on a plate of contrasting color, people tend to take smaller portion sizes and eat lesser.

This follows from earlier research that proved that people eat more if they are given a bigger plate and eat less when given a smaller plate. This is because the human eye deals with an optical illusion which makes the same portion size appear smaller on a bigger plate and appear bigger on a smaller plate. When the color of plate is such that the food just seems to blend in, this illusion disappears and people tend to eat more regardless of the size of plate.

- If you wish to lose weight, serve your food on smaller sized plates.

- Serve food on a plate that is contrasting in color to the color of your food.

- Use similarly colored plates when encouraging your child to eat salad or vegetables or something else that she doesn't enjoy much!