Selecting the right foods also means choosing portions that are proper serving sizes. The terms "portion" and "serving" are often used interchangeably, but they don't mean the same thing.
A "portion" is the amount of food you choose to eat for meals or snacks (like a plateful of pasta or a handful of raisins).Portion control is about knowing the correct measures or serving sizes as per calorie counts and fat content for different foods and beverages. A must for losing weight in a healthy way, portion control is something which stands right in the middle of excess calorie intake and not eating enough. Portions of food can be measured keeping in mind a point of reference. For instance, the right portion serving for one pasta meal is what you can hold in your fist (uncooked of course!)
In comparison a "serving" is the amount of food that experts recommend you eat (like 1 cup of milk or 1 ounce of bread). Servings are listed on a food's nutrition facts label too.
Grains: Aim for 6-11 servings each day. Choose whole grains whenever possible.
Fruits and Vegetables: Aim 5-9 total servings each day. Choose fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.
Meat and Beans: Aim for 2-3 servings each day. Choose lean meats and plant proteins whenever possible.
Dairy: Aim for 2-3 servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Choose low- or non-fat products whenever possible.
Fats & Oils: Eat fats and oils sparingly and in small portions. Choose heart-healthy fats whenever possible.
Sounds pretty meagre when you compare it to how much you eat routinely, doesn't it? Well portion sizes are meant to serve as handy measures of how much of what you're putting into your body. Therefore, drawing from the above list, if you eat half a cup of cooked pasta, with one chicken breast, half cup mashed potatoes and half cup cooked vegetables, then you are eating a healthy meal made up of smart portions.2. Don’t fill your plate completely: Try and eat in small portion sizes. If you still feel hungry, go for seconds, or need be third helpings. But overfilling your plate and then eating everything which is kept in front of you is not a good idea when you are planning to lose weight.
Go for smaller dishes: The smaller your dishes, the faster you can fight that weighing scale. Use small cuttlery as this will help you take smaller bites and chew your food properly and relish your meal to the core.
When eating... just eat! It is not a healthy habit to multitask – watch TV, help your kid with homework, reply to pending mails while you eat. Sit and relax for at least one meal in the day with your family.
Why drinking water is important: Often we confuse thirst with hunger and thus end up eating more food when we probably just needed some water, so with proper water intake, we can manage hunger better. An extra tip - drink a glass or two of water before you start your meals. This will make you feel fuller and help you eat lesser at the table, thus contributing to fat loss indirectly.
 |
| www.facebook.com/poojasinghphotography |
A "portion" is the amount of food you choose to eat for meals or snacks (like a plateful of pasta or a handful of raisins).Portion control is about knowing the correct measures or serving sizes as per calorie counts and fat content for different foods and beverages. A must for losing weight in a healthy way, portion control is something which stands right in the middle of excess calorie intake and not eating enough. Portions of food can be measured keeping in mind a point of reference. For instance, the right portion serving for one pasta meal is what you can hold in your fist (uncooked of course!)
In comparison a "serving" is the amount of food that experts recommend you eat (like 1 cup of milk or 1 ounce of bread). Servings are listed on a food's nutrition facts label too.
Grains: Aim for 6-11 servings each day. Choose whole grains whenever possible.
| Examples | One serving equals | That's about the size of |
| Bread | 1 ounce (1 small slice, 1/2 bagel, 1/2 bun) | Index card |
| Cooked Grains | 1/2 cup cooked oats, rice, pasta | Billiard ball |
| Dry cereal | 1/2 cup flakes, puffed rice, shredded wheat | Billiard ball |
Fruits and Vegetables: Aim 5-9 total servings each day. Choose fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.
| Examples | One serving equals | That's about the size of |
| Raw fruit | 1/2 cup raw, canned, frozen fruit | Billiard ball |
| Dried fruit | 1/4 cup raisins, prunes, apricots | An egg |
| Juice | 6 oz 100% fruit or vegetable juice | Hockey puck |
| Raw vegetables | 1 cup leafy greens, baby carrots | Baseball |
| Cooked vegetables | 1/2 cup cooked broccoli, potatoes | Billiard ball |
| Examples | One serving equals | That's about the size of |
| Meat & Tofu | 2-3 oz cooked beef, poultry, fish, tofu | Deck of cards |
| Beans | 1/2 cup cooked beans, split peas, legumes | Billiard ball |
| Nuts & Seeds | 2 Tbsp nuts, seeds, or nut butters |
Dairy: Aim for 2-3 servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Choose low- or non-fat products whenever possible.
| Examples | One serving equals | That's about the size of |
| Cheese | 1 ounce or 1 thin slice of cheese | A pair of dice |
| Milk | 1 cup milk, yogurt, soy milk | Baseball |
Fats & Oils: Eat fats and oils sparingly and in small portions. Choose heart-healthy fats whenever possible.
| Examples | One serving equals | That's about the size of |
| Fat & Oil | 1 tsp butter, margarine, oil | One die |
Go for smaller dishes: The smaller your dishes, the faster you can fight that weighing scale. Use small cuttlery as this will help you take smaller bites and chew your food properly and relish your meal to the core.
When eating... just eat! It is not a healthy habit to multitask – watch TV, help your kid with homework, reply to pending mails while you eat. Sit and relax for at least one meal in the day with your family.
Why drinking water is important: Often we confuse thirst with hunger and thus end up eating more food when we probably just needed some water, so with proper water intake, we can manage hunger better. An extra tip - drink a glass or two of water before you start your meals. This will make you feel fuller and help you eat lesser at the table, thus contributing to fat loss indirectly.
USDA recommended serving sizes) smart serving sizes for some foods are as follows:
- 1 slice of whole-grain bread
- 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta
- 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
- 3-4 to four small crackers
- 1 small pancake or waffle
- 1 medium-sized cookies
- 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
- 1 cup (four leaves) lettuce
- 1 small baked potato
- 3/4 cup vegetable juice
- 1 medium apple
- 1/2 grapefruit or mango
- 1/2 cup berries
- 1 cup yogurt or milk
- 1 1/2 ounces of cheddar cheese
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 medium pork chop
- 1/4 pound hamburger patty