Controlling those pesky food portions: my five favorite tips

Controlling those pesky food portions: my five favorite tips

“Super Size,” “Double Double,” and “The Works!” We’ve seen these food portions. Some of us have even ordered these portion sizes (guilty).

But how do we control our food portions? Because let’s be real, it is a little tricky and can feel time consuming. And quite frankly, it doesn’t sound fun at all! All that measuring and weighing. However, in order to eat healthily and especially lose weight, portion control is key.

But would it matter if you didn’t weigh and measure every bit and compare your chicken breast to the size of you palm, or is it someone else’s palm that is just a little bigger?

I am here to bring you good news: practical tips that can help you get a handle on you portions, manage your weight, and even enjoy your meals more.

Here are my five favorite tips to controlling food portions.

Downsize your dishes

Everything looks bigger on a smaller plate. Switch out those large dinner plates and platters for smaller plates, salad plates. You will automatically eat smaller portions. And color matters. One study from Cornell University found that serving food on high-contrasting plates can help you eat less while using plates of the same color (think vanilla ice cream on white china) can lead to eating more. But who doesn’t want more ice cream? Also, take a look at your utensils. Try a smaller spoon for dessert, or use chopsticks for noodles to take smaller, slower bites. Slowing down is a great way to not overeat.

Measure once or twice

I know, I said it would be great to no longer measure or weigh our portions. Now, this does not facilitate the need to carry around a measuring cup and a scale. But measuring your portions once or twice helps you to see the amount and remember it, like what a 1/2 cup of sauce looks like on pasta, my favorite “zoodles,” or where two ounces of pasta fall in your favorite pasta dish or bowl. More often than not, we are eating more that we think. Measuring a couple of times helps set in our minds what a portion should look like.

Stop eating out of the bag

I know it happens. You come home and just want a little snack. So you grab a bag of chips, popcorn, or peanuts — you know your favorite — and sit down, maybe in front of the TV or computer. And then you reach into the bag and what? It’s gone, and you ate way more than you planned to. Have that snack, but put a portion on a plate or bowl, or put it in a zip bag, then seal the big bag and put it away. When your snack is gone, it’s gone. The same can be applied to dinner. Plate the food before putting it on the table. Putting the meal on the table “family style” encourages nibbling.

Go for slow foods

Pistachios in the shell or cherries with pits are foods that come with a natural speed bump, forcing you to slow down. And the pile of shells or pits gives you an idea of how much you are eating. Also, choose foods that already come in a single-serve package, like apples, oranges, and bananas.

Slow down

Part of controlling our portions is not just to be aware of what we are eating but also of when we have had enough. As children, we recognized when we were full and listened to our bodies. But as we got older, we became accustomed to eating everything on our plates. And being rushed or just mindlessly eating because we are bored doesn’t help. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize that your belly is full, so slow down, chew and enjoy your food, and let your brain catch up. Tune in to how full you feel, and push that plate away when you are full.

Bonus tip: Keep track of those “adult” beverages. This is where you can rack up a ton of calories. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines advise up to one drink a day for women and up to two for men, but just eyeballing the amount can be tricky. Pour 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of liquor into your chosen glass. Remember our smaller plate rule? It works for glasses, too. Just like measuring food a couple of times, measuring your drink helps you to get a good idea about what that amount looks like.

We all know that eating the entire bag of cookies or the whole container of ice cream is going to cause problems with our waistlines, but using these portion-control tips on all your consumption will go a long way towards weight loss, a belly that just feels better, and enjoying what you eat so much more.

Now go and reward yourself with a snack. Portion controlled, of course.

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