Portion Distortion…Visual Comparisons Help



Controlling food portions can prove to be difficult with unlimited buffets and super-sized menu items. But nutrition experts say that managing the amount of food on a plate goes a long way to leading a healthier lifestyle.

Portion control during meals can lead to weight loss through less caloric intake. Other benefits of portion control can be less risk of diabetes and lower blood pressure and glucose. Here are some reasonable ideas to assist with portion control:

■If you use an 8- or 10- inch plate at dinner shrink that down to 6 inches and you won’t be tempted to eat as much.

■Use a “healthy plate” when placing meals on plates. Basically you divide your dinner plate into half. Half of the plate is filled with veggies like broccoli, green beans or cauliflower. For the other half of the plate — a quarter is the meat serving for the meal and the other quarter is for starchy foods like potato or pasta.

■Nutritionists say visual comparisons are the best way to measure serving sizes. Examples: a deck of cards equates to 2 to 3 ounces of protein, a die equals one teaspoon of butter or margarine, a golf ball is about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or a quarter cup of dried fruit and a computer mouse is equal to one serving of food with starch.

■Restaurant portions can be double or even triple the necessary amount of food, experts say. The sizes often misrepresent individual servings. When the food arrives at your table while eating out, right away and ask for a doggy bag and fill it with half the food on your plate and place it out of sight. Then eat the other half that's left on your plate, so you won’t be tempted to overeat.

■Fruits high in water content and high-fiber vegetables help manage weight — giving a person the feeling of being full without eating too much. Food labels can also provide important information on serving size, servings per container and nutrient data for people monitoring their food intake.

Simple changes can make a big difference over time! Try cutting back on the amounts of food you put on your plate and/or pushing back away from the table before you are miserable. Also, less tv time and more exercise...try these few suggestions and find a slimmer, happier, healthier you!