The most common version is dividing your plate into 3 sections...1/4 for protein, 1/4 for grains and 1/2 for vegetables.
A great example meal...steamed broccoli with carrots, grilled salmon, whole grain brown rice.
Don't forget to add fruit as your dessert and a glass of milk with your meal to get in the necessary dairy nutrients.
Another version is to divide your plate into 3 equal portions for vegetables, grains and protein...but the protein section is divided up into 3 portions for protein, fats and dairy...for a balanced meal each time.
PORTION CONTROL:
Sometimes it's hard to imagine how much food to put into each section on your divided plate. Try this trick...visualize food portions as the same size as familiar objects.
This is such a handy tool because it's always on hand..haha double pun :)
This one is also good for reference but soon the new generation of healthy eaters will have no idea what a cassette or cheque book are.
PROPER SERVING SIZE:
It is important to read nutrition labels on products. They will tell you what a serving size is. Very helpful when eating things like crackers for instance. If you want to make sure you're eating the proper serving size, just don't munch away from the box, look up he serving size and count out that many onto a plate or into a bowl.
And when eating something from a can, such a soup or beans or veggies...make sure of the serving size, lol, it's not the whole can!
Fruits and vegetables are harder to determine. This is where a small kitchen scale comes in handy. Especially for potatoes. Not 2 potatoes are the same weight. LOL...and as Al & I found out...one serving to them is a medium potato of 150 grams for 110 calories...we used to eat 2-3 times that amount...and topped with mashed with butter & milk and then topped with LOTS of gravy! (BTW...I know my daughter Desiree is cringing as she reads this because we shared this love of overindulgence)
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:
Using smaller plates can really help out. In fact they can help in 2 ways:
#1. By using a smaller plate, you can use the same amount of food you usually eat, but because it's on a smaller surface, it will trick your mind into thinking you've eaten more, and you may just end up leaving some of it on the plate, thus eating less.
OR
#2. By using a smaller plate, you can use a smaller amount of food than you usually eat, but because it's on a smaller surface, it will trick your mind into thinking you've eaten more, and you will feel full enough that you won't want to go back for seconds to return to the full amount you were used to eating.
So...I challenge you to try eating on a smaller plate...then return to the blog to post your experience in the comment area...were you able to eat less and not feel hungry...or did you have to go back for seconds to feel satisfied?
NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Tummy Tuck
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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.
