How do you control your appetite and cut your cravings?
Rule 2: Don’t eat appetizers
Have you ever been to a restaurant and the menu starts out with, guess what? “Appetizers.”
Think about it. What is an appetizer? If a restaurant is selling you their “appetizers” it’s not because they want you to eat less. Can you see that?
Most “appetizer” foods are designed to make you hungrier. That is their purpose, to make you want to eat more. And every restaurant uses appetizers to make sure you buy more food than you otherwise would.
Have you ever just sat down at a restaurant and they quickly give you a hot loaf of “free” bread? Why would they do that? To kill your appetite before they can tell you the “specials of the day”?
Bread is an appetizer (as are crackers and pretzels and a lot of other foods). They quickly tell your body, “eat more and do it now, dummy.”
And here is a not insignificant point: Why is the “cocktail hour” just before mealtime?
Because cocktails are fiendishly great appetite increasers. So too are those little hors d’oevres they serve with them. Now all alcoholic beverages quickly increase your appetite, but the classic martini-type drinks just do it faster and better.
Now, back to the restaurant. Notice how they always ask for your drink order first. Here is the deal: Not only do alcoholic beverages make you eat more (plus the calories in them), but caffeinated beverages (coffee or sodas), and drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup also increase your appetite.
Thus, if you owned a restaurant, wouldn’t you take the drink orders first, and while you were preparing them, give the table a free loaf of hot bread?
How do you control your appetite and cut your cravings?
Conclusion 2: Don’t eat appetizers, or have drinks before your meal
Next to Come…
How do you control your appetite?
Rule 3: Eat a Variety of Nutritious Foods
©2009 Laura Gontchar. All Rights Reserved.
36 thoughts on “Don’t Eat Appetizers: Rule 2 to Control Your Appetite”
I love apps. I too sometimes get them as my meal but we try not to eat out much.
This is so very true, I’ ve even ordered apps as my entree and was full by the end
Oddly enough I hardly ever order appetizers. If I do that usually means I won’t be able to eat all of my food. A small side salad is about it.
I never order appetizers. I usually can rarely finish my main course since restaurants have such large portions!
We usually don’t order appetizers unless we are doing a deal or splitting a bunch of food. Filling up on appetizers usually means less room for my main meal.
Is it terrible that I typically only order apps? Lol, my husband and I will order several and eat them together instead of an entree! Its a lot of fun 🙂
Success in life comes via moderation with everything. It’s not logical that anyone is going to cut out apps completely, it’s not just a restaurant ploy, when people host parties in their homes they offer them too, most of the time it’s for the meal to finish prepping or because some guests are coming from far. Apps are also a great way to try something on the menu you may not have. The small portion is great if you don’t like it. and if you do you can then order a full size! (And no, I don’t work in the restaurant industry, just a food lover!) 🙂
I must be in the minority, because I always order an appetizer instead of an entree since I get full so easily! That’s why I have hardly understood how anyone could order both since one normally gets quite a bit with an appetizer. Good point, though! 🙂
I love this idea! It’s not genius but who ever thinks about skipping the appetizer. Other things I’ve heard is to cut the main course in half or swap some things on the menu.
To control my calories I usually get broth based soup, a side salad and an appetizer as my meal because the portions are smaller. Or, I order a burger with no bun and no fries. Get a side salad and then put the burger on the salad.
Ahhhh appetizers are so yummy!!!! You are right though… If you want to control your eating they are not a good thing!
Oh, and we love appetizers. I will follow your advice and won’t order appetizers from now on.
I didn’t know cocktails increased the appetite. I knew salty foods increased the cocktail craving though. 😉
I have a really hard time controlling my appetite! Since I’m mainly a food blogger I’m cooking a lot of food and very often as well. Part of being a food blogger means that I’m also taste testing all of my recipes before they get posted! It’s so hard for me to resist eating more than my fair share! LOL
We order appetizers most of the time, but I don’t eat much of it because I don’t want to fill my tummy. I should leave room for the main course. 🙂
It’s funny because I used to scoff when people told me to drink water to keep cravings at bay. Now it is my number one piece of advice.
We rarely order appetizers just because they’re way too expensive. I drink lots of water, and that helps me feel full.
We seldom dine out but when we do, we don’t order appetizer. It messes your budget and your diet!
Thanks for the information. I was kinda sad with what I read because I love appetizers. I should have known. The name itself is a giveaway.
What great ways to control one’s appetite! With a nickname like Fang and not able to gain weight, I can enjoy my appetizers and enjoy my meal too!
yum… appetizer is a killer! I love chips and guacamole. I also love pot sticker
what an interesting fact about alcohol and pop. Maybe that’s my problem. Going to give it a try.
I love appetizers but I don’t eat them everyday. When we go out to eat we will order appetizers for the whole family, but usually end up taking home a doggy bag with the main meal in it. I can do without appetizers but my family loves them so I always order enough for everyone!
My daughter works at a restaurant where they give you bread at the table as well. Usually if I get an appetizer, it’s my main meal.
I had no idea the Bread made you more hungry! I always get full when i eat the rolls. who Would have know. Thank you for sharing.
I always order water with lime to drink and rarely get appetizers. The calories do add up when you eat an appetizer and an entree. If I do have an appetizer, I make it my meal.
true- even when they are the best part, LOL. sometimes i order them AS my meal.
We almost never eat appetizers! When we do, it’s as our meal. But interesting to know how drinks and bread control our eating.
I am not good with appetizers I get full fast LOL. I always drink water I just don’t like soda all that much, but I love this post, it very interesting how it works at a restaurant.
We love appetizers 🙁 but I’m going to try do listening to you lol. Thanks! 😀
i rarely if ever order an appetizer–now eating that bread they put on the table is another story altogether! For some reason y appetite has decreased as I’ve gotten older and I know I will just about be able to make it through the meal–I rarely order dessert either!
I *try* to order an appetizer as my entree (an maybe nibble from someone else’s appetizer beforehand). They’re cheaper and smaller portions. I know the service industry isn’t always excited about people like me ordering less, but I’ve got to live with my own body, not theirs, lol!
Great info! Believe it or not, I’m a restaurant’s worst nightmare. Bread fills me up, and then I order something smaller!
The thing is, appetizers are the best part of the meal LOL. We love to have a little snack while we’re waiting for our food.
Restaurants can not get me to order appetizers or drinks! Plain old Iced Tea is what I want and order–and as for appetizers, well they just do not tempt me. NOW–bread–that is another story entirely–put that bread in front of me–it’s gone!! Gotta learn to stop that!!
Great info! I have found that sometimes one can fill up on the appetizers, which are usually high in fat and calories, before you can even get to the meal. This would surely blow a diet plan! I agree, skip the appetizers and wait for the main meal.