Portion control is incredibly important for a healthy diet. Though jumping into the buffet line may be tempting, it might not be the best idea. A buffet is a good test, to see just how good your portion control is. Seeing how much food can fit onto a single plate and into your stomach, is the true way to discovering your perfect portion fit.
Portion control is a way of balancing your meals to ensure that you have the right amount of protein, carbs and even fats and sugars in your diet. Portioning your plate is a simple yet effective for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Below are 10 great ways you can balance out your diet:
Eat until satisfied, not full
Many people choose to eat food that still remains on their plate, tempting them. You should only consume food when you’re hungry and eat till you are satisfied, which isn’t necessarily the same as being full. A good method to use is to stop eating when you feel about 80% full, the body is usually satisfied by that point, and it won’t leave you feeling lethargic or tired, which can happen when consuming large amounts of food in one sitting.
Keep it colourful
Fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthy diet. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will provide you with many necessary vitamins and minerals to keep your body functioning at a high capacity.
Use smaller dishes
People tend to base how full they are based on how empty their plate looks, or the food left in front of them. Therefore, it may be a better idea to use smaller dishes to psychologically help you eat less.
Avoid seconds
Getting seconds prompts you to eat twice as much as you planned on eating, which means double the calories. Avoid this at all costs.
Divide your plate
Imagine your plate with three even imaginary lines dividing it. The biggest section should be filled with grains, such as whole-wheat bread or pasta and brown rice. Be sure these grains are whole-wheat and avoid white grains like white rice or white bread. Brown grains are higher in dietary fiber and can keep you fuller, longer.
Your second section will include proteins, such as meats including chicken, pork, and even fish, nuts, and beans.
Your third section of the plate is what you put your fruits and vegetables in. These will provide you with vitamins and minerals essential for various systems in your body.
Read labels
Knowing what you put in your body is the first thing you should focus on when building your plate. Based on your own personal goals, determine if that food is truly good for you and how much of it you should consume.
Measure your portions
It’s important to measure what you’re consuming. Use simple objects as a reference to measure your portions, such as a tennis ball equating to roughly the size of one cup.
Turn off the distractions
Sitting in front of the television with your eyes glued to the screen, can result in mindless eating. TV can distract you from the amount of food you’ve consumed. Tuning out any distractions can help you focus more on what you’re eating, and help you focus on healthy eating.
Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day
While it may seem counterintuitive to eat more meals to promote a healthy diet, the keyword is small. While the meals are small, they serve to help curb cravings and overeating as you are constantly feeding your body energy. These meals will include your usual breakfast, lunch and dinner, and while the meal sizes will be smaller, you’ll consume snacks in between each meals, like a cup of yogurt, or freshly squeezed and blended juices and shakes.
Share meals when eating out
Plates and meal sizes at restaurants tend to be bigger to encourage customer satisfaction in feeling full. A solution to making sure you don’t eat too much is to share a meal with whomever you’re dining with.