Do you really know what a recommended portion looks like? When you pour your cereal in the morning do you measure with your eyes? And when your grating cheese to top that baked potato? How about the butter on your toast that melts away so easily?
I never measured anything prior to calorie counting and can understand where I was going wrong a lot of the time. A lot of us have greedy eyes, and the hungrier we are the more we will generally dish up understandably however unnecessarily.
Which plate has more food?
Did you know eating from a smaller plate gives the illusion of larger portions
It is highly worth investing in some digital food scales and spoon measures if you do not have them already. I use both multiple times a day! It seems strange at first but it’s a great habit to work on, especially with the high fat foods that can easily be over indulged in and hide the most calories. You will get used to these portions after a while and the scales won’t be needed, however I still like to measure when ever possible.
It can also become tricky when dishing up from multiple portion pots. A good tip is to record your pots weight so you can measure it when the food is ready, deduct the pots empty weight and divide accordingly.
Now back to actual recommended food portions for a healthy diet. There’s a lot to go into here so check out this link from Bupa who have given some great detail.
Here’s a visual aid to help
I highly recommend dishing up your meals in the kitchen before settling down to eat instead of in serving dishes at the table as this can lead to over eating. It is also recommended to eat slowly to allow your stomach time to tell your brain it is full, as well as leaving it 20 minutes before going for second helpings or an additional course.
Educating yourself on the above will stick with you for life and help you towards a healthier lifestyle.
I think that covers enough about portions to get you all started, this really does go hand in hand with the calories page when practising weight management and healthy eating.
Best of luck
Nom Nom Nelly X
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