It’s that time—you’ve grown tired of looking at your old, chipped plates, and people are starting to talk. It’s time for new tableware. One of the most common questions asked when purchasing new dishes is, “What color of dishes should I buy for everyday meals?” Should they match the tablecloth, or the decor? You might even decide to head to your local store like Wal-Mart or K-Mart to see what’s available.
As you browse down the tableware aisle, you may be awestruck at the variety of colors and styles available. There are oval plates, round plates, and even square ones. And they come in every color and combination imaginable.
The Science Behind Your Plate Choices
So, what’s the big deal? As long as they look nice, does it really matter? The answer may surprise you. Believe it or not, the color of your dishes, as well as the shape and size, can have a huge impact on how you eat. Even the tablecloth and decor play a role. Restaurateurs and chefs have known about this for a long time, but they would prefer the general public not to be aware of it. If you haven’t guessed already, I’m about to let a very large cat out of the bag.
Look at the two circles below and decide which one appears bigger:
It’s the one on the left, right? …Wrong! Both circles are exactly the same size. What you just experienced is an anomaly known as the Delboeuf Illusion. Named after the Belgian scientist Joseph Remi Leopold Delboeuf (yes, they liked long names back then), this phenomenon was discovered in 1865. It was found that a circle with a concentric outer circle would appear larger than one without the outer circle. It’s an optical illusion! The restaurant industry quickly noticed this and started designing plates with thin rims to make them appear larger, allowing restaurants to serve smaller portions without customers noticing. Now you know why standard modern plates are made the way they are.
The Delboeuf Illusion also works with color contrasts. A study by Brian Wansink and Koert Van Ittersum demonstrated that food portions on contrasting colored plates appear larger than on plates with less contrast. (Ittersum and Wansink: Delboeuf’s Illusions Bias on Serving and Eating Behavior, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol 39, No. 2, August 2012). To illustrate, look at the two plates below:
Even though the green dot on the left appears larger, both circles (and both green dots) are exactly the same size.
The Impact on Portion Control
This has some intriguing possibilities when you think about it. A person might be able to eat less and lose weight simply by changing the color of their plates. Prof. Wansink, the former Executive Director of the USDA’s Center for Nutritional Policy and Promotion, went even further with his experiment. They set up two buffets with pasta, with the choice of either marinara (red) or Alfredo sauce (sort of white-ish). One group was given contrasting plates, while the other group was given plates that closely matched the color of the food. Those serving themselves with a low-contrast combination (i.e., marinara on a red plate, or Alfredo on a white plate) served themselves a whopping 22% more food. Think about what that could add up to over time!
The study also found that reducing the contrast of tablecloths and tableware caused people to consume as much as 10% less food—good news for those looking to trim down.
The study found that even the size of the plates dramatically affected how much people ate. Smaller plates led people to eat smaller portions, up to 20% less, even though the portions appeared larger. The results of these tests should help you answer the question, “What color plates should I buy for everyday meals?”
What Color Plates Should You Buy?
The answer depends on your goals and what types of food you cook most often. Do you want to eat more green vegetables (or get someone else to)? Try serving them on a larger-sized green plate. If you want to lose weight, consider using smaller plates with contrasting colors to the food you’re serving. Don’t forget, this also works with drinks! The study found that people poured 28% more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall one. Of course, if you want to gain weight, do the opposite.
The obvious conclusion is to have several different-sized plates in multiple colors. I’d recommend a selection in green, red, yellow, white, and maybe brown (for fried foods). Also, have a good assortment of 9″ and 12″ plates on hand. And if you buy anything labeled “Low Fat,” remove the labels. Knowing something is labeled as low-fat caused people to consume 16%-23% more calories! Great study, huh?
By using the insights gained from this study, you’ll never again wonder, “What color plates should I buy for everyday meals?”
