Health

Helpful tips to reduce portion sizes

Apr 04, 2016

If you are eating healthy but finding it difficult to lose weight you might need to take a look at your portion sizes. It doesn’t matter how healthy you are eating, if you are eating too much of something you will find it difficult to shed kilos. Even 100 grams of mixed nuts can have 600 or more calories in it.

Here are some tips on how to control your portions and enjoy your meals without guilt or sluggish feeling of overeating.

Measure food

Get in the habit of weighing food, but don’t become overly controlling with it. It is good to know how much food you should be eating and how many calories are in each serve. According to eatforhealth.gov.au these are guidelines for serving sizes:

Standard serve of vegetables is 75g (1 cup raw green leafy, 1/2 medium potato, 1/2 cup of cooked beans, 1/2 cup cooked green or orange veges [broccoli, spinach, carrot etc.])
Standard serve of fruit is 150g
Standard serve of grains is 120 calories (1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta or noodles, 1/2 cup porridge, 1/4 cup of muesli)
65g lean red meats, 80g cooked lean chicken or turkey, 100g cooked fish, 2 large eggs, 1 cup of cooke dor canned legumes/beans
1 cup of milk, 2 slices (40g) cheese, 3/4 cup of yoghurt

Start with water

If you are out at a restaurant or know you are hungry and will likely eat enough to make yourself feel ill, have a glass of water before dinner to fill yourself up.

Vegetables first

Always serve vegetables first, filling half of your plate before you add protein or starch. This will help limit the size of the higher calorie or less nutrient items.

Plan dessert or after dinner treats

If you’re a sweet tooth it is important to plan what you will have for dessert. If you are out with friends or family try splitting a dessert meal with them. If you’re at home try having jelly or herbal tea as a sweet. Don’t say no to dessert, if you are too strict on your diet you may give up on it easier. Try to find small treats that will satisfy your sweet tooth but not undo all of your hard work during the day.

Avoid serving meals in one big bowl

Having a large bowl or plate sitting in the middle of the table makes it hard to resist second servings. Dishing out each plate with appropriate portions and putting left overs straight in the fridge is the best way to avoid the temptation of second helpings.