What colour is your plate?

Plate colour has been shown to alter the amount of food consumption due to its environmental effect on food intake. This study was a crossover study conducted with 54 female participants aged 18–30 years of normal weight. The results showed that plate colour exerted a significant effect on food intake during the test days. The average total energy intake with red and black plates were around 1113.19  kcal and was almost 20% higher than with white plates (945.72  kcal). There were no differences between red and black plates.

Another study found that individuals drank and ate less from red labelled cups and red plates than from blue labelled cups and blue and white plates, while another study showed reduced consumption of popcorn and chocolate chips when the foods were served on red plates.

But it is not just the colour of the plate. Other studies have shown colour to have a significant impact on food consumption including the colour of the of the plate, packaging, and of the surrounding environment.