SEVEN OR LESS
Flair of fancy name gives dish an added edge

By Sarah Fritschner
Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal

The shape of a glass can affect how much you drink. The size of a movie popcorn container can affect how much you eat. And if the candy dish is on your desk, you'll eat more than if it's three steps away.

All of these little discoveries were made by researcher Brian Wansink, a professor at the University of Illinois. In an interview printed in the current Nutrition Action health letter, he reveals these and other reasons why we might be gaining weight without realizing it: We don't notice what we're eating.

Among other things, his research shows:

• We eat more if portion sizes are bigger. "We found that the people who were given big buckets (of popcorn) ate roughly 50 percent more than the people who were given smaller buckets," he says. Asked to estimate how much they had eaten, there was no difference in the responses between the two groups.
• Shapes influence our perception of quantity. Tall, skinny glasses give the appearance of holding more than short, stubby glasses. In one study, trained bartenders poured 26 percent more alcohol into a wide tumbler than a narrow one.
• The more variety we have, the more we eat. When different colored jelly beans were separated into bowls by color, people ate 40 percent less than the people who received colored jelly beans all mixed together. All the jelly beans were the same flavor.

One of Wansink's discoveries can help the family cook: Fancy names on restaurant menus increase the satisfaction we get from the food. If a dish was named chicken breast, people responded unenthusiastically when asked how they liked it. When the same dish was served as Tuscan sun-kissed breast of chicken, people liked it more and said they'd order it again.

So instead of saying, "We're having chicken breast again," say, "Tonight we're having poulet au thym (poo-lay oh time)." That will ensure success.

Poulet au Thym

• 1 shallot, about the size of a ping-pong ball, or the equivalent
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (freshly ground) pepper
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (or half broth, half white wine)

Mince the shallot to make 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Heat oil (or butter and oil, if using) in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook two to three minutes, or until the pieces soften.

Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken breast with thyme, salt and pepper. Place in skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, three to four minutes per side. Add the chicken broth (and wine, if using), reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (about five minutes).

Remove chicken to plates or platter and increase heat under pan to high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid in pan is reduced to 1/4 cup. Drizzle over chicken breasts. Serve with wild rice or wild rice mix and salad.

Serves four.

Nutritional information per serving: 196 calories, 10 grams fat, 24 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrate, trace of fiber.