4. Scale back.

You can't trim your portions until you come to grips with how much you're actually eating. Using a digital food scale can help you get a better sense of what the recommended 3 ounces of chicken or 1 ounce of cheese looks like. Measuring cups and spoons for items like granola and olive oil can also help keep portions in line.

5. Play with knives.

To cut calories from your diet cut up your food. Studies show that slicing up items such as pizza and bagels into several smaller pieces decreases food consumption and calorie intake. We tend to think of one piece of food, like a steak or muffin, as an appropriate serving size regardless of its size. "Slicing foods into several units can trick your brain into thinking you're eating more than you actually are so you're more likely to be satisfied with less," Young adds.

6. Lighten up.

Save the mood lighting for date night. Research from Cornell University found that subjects who dined in a dark room consumed 36 percent more food and were less accurate in estimating how much they consumed than those who ate in a bright room. A bright space can boost alertness to encourage mindful eating, while dimmer lighting may loosen eating inhibitions and mess with satiety cues.

7. Slow down.

Eating at a snail's pace could bring about better portion control. According to a Texas Christian University study, people who ate a meal in 22 minutes consumed 88 fewer calories and felt less hungry than those who cleaned their plates in nine minutes. "Pacing yourself allows time for your body to register satiety signals and prevents calories from adding up without realizing it," says Young. Put utensils down between bites, chew food more thoroughly, engage in conversation, drink water with meals, and even try chopsticks to keep you at the table longer.

8. Watch out for "health halos."

Don't give foods like avocado, quinoa, granola and smoothies a "free pass." Research shows that edibles portrayed as "healthy" can tempt you to let your guard down and overeat. It may be that people think of healthy foods as less filling or lower in calories, so decide more is needed to quell hunger.

(Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.)