When it comes to losing weight, there is a lot of focus on the type of food we eat, and of course this really does matter. However, the amount of food we actually put on our plate also plays an important role in shedding the pounds and keeping them off. When offered larger portions, most people will eat more rather than stop when they are full.
If you consistently overload your plate, you will be sabotaging your attempts to lose weight even if you are making the effort to exercise and make healthy food choices. It can be a confusing topic; for example we are told to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, but how is a serving defined; after all, it comes in all shapes and sizes.
Of course, you may also be going the other way and consuming too few calories to support your energy levels and nutritional needs. Proper portion control also means that you will be eating well-balanced meals with the right amount of nutrition from each food group.
You will also be helping your digestive system to work more efficiently by controlling your portion sizes. Overloading portions can lead to bloating and discomfort, and also spike blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of diabetes. Here are some tips to help you eat the correct quantities of food every time.
Pre-portioned meals
Serving up meals can often involve guesswork, particularly when you are cooking foods such as rice or pasta, which have much less volume raw but expand when cooked. Sometimes, just feeling particularly hungry when you are cooking can lead to an overloaded plate.
A convenient solution to this problem is to pre-portion your meals in advance, by prepping all the ingredients the night before or batch cooking at the weekend if you are busy. Another time-saving alternative is to use a meal prep delivery service.
Each meal will be carefully designed to include the optimum amount of calories and nutrients, so you can be confident you are never eating too much or too little at dinnertime or lunchtime.
Use measuring cups and spoons
If you prepare your own meals, weighing out each ingredient before you cook it can be time-consuming, and you might be tempted to skip this step and rely on guesswork. To avoid this scenario, invest in a set of measuring spoons and cups, which are cheap to buy and widely available.
Check up on the recommended portion sizes of the foods you cook most regularly (these will generally be printed on the packet), such as pasta and rice. This way, you will always be eating a controlled amount with each meal with little extra effort.
Plan meals in advance
At the start of each week, plan out your meals for each day so you know exactly what groceries to buy. This way, you won’t be tempted to eat more simply because you have foods that are near the best before date, and are more likely to eat well balanced meals that promote weight loss.