Size does matter – when it comes to food portions

Portion control versus portion distortion

The distortion of portion sizes is one of those things that creep up on you without you realising what’s going on until it’s too late. For example, did you know that since the 1980’s plate sizes increased by 33%, not to mention the average sizes of most portions and servings of food?

Portion control, on the other hand, simply means being aware of how much food you are actually eating per serving and what kilojoules are in that serving. Body weight is influenced by your total kilojoule intake per serving so it stands to reason that when you control the size of the portions of food you eat you also control your weight gain. However, portion control is not about starving yourself but about eating a healthy balanced diet and a variety of different types of healthy food.

Portion control is a habit

Portion control is not a diet, it’s a habit − and habits can be learned. However, forming a habit takes time, it’s not a quick fix solution. An action needs to be repeated for it to become a habit. Actually, most people know what they need to do but putting it into action is the hard part. So, don’t give up, just slog along until you have made it!

Portion control measures

• • Start small to make it easy on yourself. Try it out for one day only. Don’t think ahead just focus on one day and then take it from there.

• • Learn to estimate portion sizes. For example, a healthy serving of protein should not be larger than a palm size piece. Carbohydrate servings such as pasta can be measured by fistfuls. A healthy serving of pasta should be one fistful.

• • Eat a varied diet. Food guide pyramids are used as a visual aid to help people do so. Find one on the Internet and plan your meals accordingly.

• • Cook at home and plan meals ahead of time. Try to remove leftovers from the table as soon as possible to lessen the temptation of taking second helpings. Of course you can’t do this if you are entertaining guests. Freeze the leftovers in labelled ziplocks and in handy single portions. If you are really still hungry, wait at least 15 to 20 minutes and drink a glass of water to fill you up before eating some leftovers.

• • Be prepared for snack attacks by having a variety of healthy snacks available and close at hand. Portion control doesn’t apply to healthy snacks such as popcorn and vegetables. Finger food veggies with a “healthy” dip can be delicious. Remember, a snack in time saves nine!

• • Add a source of lean or low fat protein such as low fat yogurt, small portions of nuts, peanut butter, eggs, beans or lean meats to each meal and even to snacks to help keep you feeling full longer.

• • Let the size of your plate control your portion. Yes, it’s true that smaller plates lead to smaller portions, but do you know why? Thanks to a powerful optical illusion known as the Delboeuf Illusion, our minds tell us that a small helping on a big plate will not fill us up and we need to add more food, while that self-same helping on a small plate will look huge in comparison.

• • Beware the temptations of eating out. Oscar Wilde said “I can resist everything but temptation” and that is exactly what it is all about. Avoid going to eat-all-you-can restaurants, start your meal with a small, healthy entrée and if your main meal includes huge portions, eat half and take half home in a doggy bag. Share dessert with someone at your table or eat only half.

• • Eat foods that speed up your metabolism, burn more kilojoules and leave you feeling full longer such as grapefruit, celery, avocados, whole grains, fish, Chia seeds and Brazil nuts and spicy foods such as curry. Drink green tea and moderate amounts of coffee too.

• • Find out what your eating personality is (see the article on this topic elsewhere on the website)

 

Sources
Scott, S. J. 2013. Portion control habits: eleven ways to avoid portion distortion and eat the right amount of food. Retrieved from: http://www.developgoodhabits.com/portion-control-tips/
Levine, J. Healthy snacks: six foods you can’t overdo. Retrieved from: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/healthy-snacks-6-foods-you-cant-overdo
Portion control (dieting). Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portion_control_(dieting)
Stewart, K. Ten easy portion control tricks. Retrieved from: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/meal-planning/tips/keep-portion-sizes-in-check.aspx
White, D. 2014. Ten foods to eat to burn more calories. Retrieved from: http://womanitely.com/foods-eat-burn-more-calories/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=taboola-food
Zelman, K. M. Ten ways to lose weight without dieting. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-lose-weight-without-dieting