Stack your way to a healthier diet; faux supersize it

Studies have found that if you think your meal isn't filling, it won't be. Combined with the effects of Supersized restaurant portions, this can leave people disappointed when they try to limit themselves to healthy portion sizes.

But with a little creativity in presentation, a healthy portion can look and feel like a satisfying feast.

One easy trick is to avoid serving small amounts of food on large plates. Instead, serve meals on smaller plates that make healthy portions appear larger.

Another way to trick your brain is to heap healthy whole grains and vegetables on the plate before adding any of the protein or main course. This gives the feeling of an oversized serving without all the fat and calories.

You also can borrow a trick from restaurants. Stack and arrange foods in a way that gives them height and suggests greater volume.

These garam masala-spiced shrimp and asparagus towers are a good example of this technique. Healthy, low-fat shrimp and asparagus are sauteed in an curry-like sauce, then stacked in alternating layers with crispy, baked wonton wrappers.

Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that can vary in the heat level it delivers. Curry powder can be used as a substitute.

Look for wonton wrappers near the tofu in the produce section of your market.

If you like, you can deconstruct this entree and serve the shrimp, asparagus and crisps separately to dip in the spicy sauce. Making a dish more interactive like this is another way to slow down a meal and make it feel more satisfying.