Portion size…how do yours measure up?
So I was at Costco….found a new cereal Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise. I have been in a constant battle trying to find a healthy, clean cereal that my boys will like enough to want to eat it at any time of the day. So far they are all enjoying it… it is multi grained (Corn,rice, flax, quinoa,buckwheat and amaranth), gluten-free that is low in fat, salt and sugar with some fiber…and mainly organic ingredients. So found something they like…would prefer if was lower in sugar…but I guess it is about balance now they will eat more cereal, increase consumption of a variety of grains, get some fiber, increase consumption of milk. Still on the look out for other options…any suggestions. But now to work on portion size….when asked how many serving did he have…their father said “I had a couple” and then I showed him what the serving size is suppose to be and then said he ” I guess I had “4 or 5”. So I encourage you to take a look and determine if what you consider a serving size is comparable to the listed portion size on the box.
Portion size…the reality is we are never going to be weighing out or measuring every calorie on an everyday basis and who really who wants to….not me. But in order to make choices we have to know what size a portion should be….unfortunately with biggie sizes, colossal cups, meal deals….our view of portion sizes have been inflated that we have started to view these portion as normal. Did you know a serving size of cooked pasta is 1/2 cup and not a plate full like so many of us eat at restaurants? Pasta like potatoes is a side dish. Bigger portions means more calories which equal a larger waistlines. Here is a website that may help you get a grip on the recommended portion sizes http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/viewdocument.aspx?id=267
Here are a few tips to get you started
Serve your meal on salad plates instead of large dinner plates…studies have shown that we eat more on bigger plates…give it a try. This is something I do at home we rarely use the dinner plates and when my big growing boys feel they need more…they get up from the table and go to the kitchen. Well for a teenage boy you really have to want it to go to that much trouble.
Serve the plates from the stoves rather than bringing the pots to the table. It removes that temptation of having just a little bit more….out of sight out of mind. And at first while you are reconditioning yourself to appropriate portion sizes…use measuring cups
Put your food on a plate rather than eat out of a container….you will eat slower and less. We tend not to be conscious of how much we are eating when we are just grabbing some from the container ex had a few crackers before dinner….how come the box is half empty. So grab a plate or a cup and put the amount you know you want to eat so you are not over indulging without realizing it.
Let me know how it works for you…
Ellefitness 