If you take one dietary tip with you into the holidays and beyond, let it be about portion control.
Ensuring you're eating an appropriate amount at each meal is not a punishment and it's not a diet. In fact, portion control can be absolutely rewarding. For example, eating appropriately sized portions of food can:
· Provide variety
· Satisfy your tastebuds
· Eliminate hunger pangs between meals
· Give you more energy
· Fuel your body in a balanced way
And if you slim down in the process, well, that's just the cherry on top, isn't it?
So, What Is the Right Portion Size?
Most of us have been conditioned to overeat. Healthy eating begins with learning what an appropriate meal portion size is.
The latest recommendation from the USDA involves making half the food you're consuming at any one meal fruits and vegetables. After that, it's grains, protein, and dairy, in descending amounts. But how do you know how much is too much, and how much is just right? Here are some tips:
· Grains. The amount of rice, oatmeal, pasta, etc. you could fit into a cupped hand equals one serving of grains for women. Two cupped handfuls is a man’s serving size.
· Protein. For women, one serving of protein should roughly be the size of your palm. For men, one serving will be two palm-sized portions. This is your meat, fish, poultry, and beans.
· High-Fat Foods. These foods provide essential fatty acids that your body doesn't make itself. However, just a thumb-sized portion is about right (two for men). High-fat foods include butter, cream, oil, nuts.
Wouldn't you like to feel more energized by food than dragged down by it? Portion control is key to helping your body more efficiently use the food you eat.
Registered dietitian Jamie Schlifstein in Boca Raton, Florida, offers her clients the educational tools and guidance needed to navigate all the ins and outs of healthy eating – including how to best incorporate proper portion control into your life. Call (561) 558-7786 to schedule a consultation.