Staying healthy and at your ideal weight is not just about the food you eat but how much you eat. If you super size everything, including healthy choices, you risk gaining weight. A big part of weight management really is about portion control.
If you’re on a weight management food plan, start by measuring your foods until you learn how much you should be eating. There are tools that can help you, which you can find in kitchen specialty shops or in the kitchen wares department in larger stores. An easy way is to train your eye to measure portions. Here are some examples:
- Rice and pasta. One serving is approx. a half cup of rice or pasta. This is the same size as a mini fruit cup or half a baseball. So make sue when you’re dining out a Chinese restaurant, for example, you’re sharing the fried rice.
- Breads. One serving of bread is one slice. So measure diner rolls buns and other beard products accordingly. If that burger bun looks bigger than two slices of bread, use only one.
- Cooked meat. One serving is usually three ounces, which is the size of your palm or a deck of cards. You might love that 8 oz steak but you need to share it, or eat half and use the other for leftovers on another day.
- Cheese and dairy. One portion is usually one quarter of a cup, which is the size of a golf ball. Canada’s Food Guide suggests adults consume two to three servings of milk, yogurt or cheese per day. To reduce caloric and fat intake for dairy, try TOFUTTI BETTER THAN CREAM CHEESE®. It tastes like traditional cream cheese, but is milk and butterfat free and contains no cholesterol. Use it whether spread on a bagel, as a dip for snack items, such as crackers or chips, in any favourite recipe. The packages come in a variety of flavours including: Plain, French Onion, Herbs & Chives and Garlic & Herb