If you’re noshing while you read this, put your fork down and take a breath. Taking more time to eat can help you consume fewer calories, according to a recent review of studies published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition. For some simple ways to put the brakes on your dining experience, try these tips from D. Milton Stokes, Ph.D., R.D., of One Source Nutrition in Connecticut.

1.Don’t eat where the food is being served. When your meal is in front of you, it’s easy to keep chowing down, but when you have to get up to get seconds, you have time to decide if you really are still hungry.

2.Use salad plates for mealsEven if you fill the plate, you’ll naturally choose smaller amounts of food.

3.Swap your fork for chopsticks. “Most of my clients aren’t proficient users of chopsticks, and this slowness is a gift,” says Stokes.