Wow, these tricks make eating less so easy!

1. When cooking, use a measuring spoon

Not all home-cooked food is healthy. You can be adding a lot more seasoning or oil than you really need. This is why you should always use a measuring spoon or even a ladle.

Pour cooking oil or sauces into either before spooning them into the wok or pot — this lets you see just how much you are using. If you dispense oil and sauces directly from the bottle, you tend to use a lot more than necessary as there’s no unit of measurement for comparison.

2. Take only what you need and store the rest

If you are having your breakfast toast with butter or jam, scoop a little of the latter onto your plate and put the rest back in the fridge. This will help you eat less of the fat or sweet stuff. Leaving the box of butter or jar of jam on the table will encourage you to spread more of it onto your toast as they are within easy reach.

3. Eat the dishes first, then the carbs

In more frugal (and so, healthier) times, people would have more rice and less meat, egg or greens as carbs were usually cheaper and filled up the tummy faster. Now, do the reverse. Which means, start your meal by eating the dishes first before having your carbs. You’ll realise that you don’t really need that much rice or kway teow once you’ve worked your way through the fried veggies or the chicken stew.

4. Sip water in between bites

Always have a glass of room temperature water by your side and sip on this as you eat as the water will fill you up more quickly and prevent you from eating more. A more drastic trick? Cook or order spicier dishes as they will make you drink more water along the way.

5. Have an appetiser

I know, it sounds like a contradiction to order or cook even more food. But an appetiser like a leafy salad or a clear soup helps to pad your stomach and decrease your appetite by the time the main course comes. You’ll end up eating less.

READ ALSO: 'I've never felt fitter or healthier': Trail runner on her vegan diet

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.