Fitness: How to Control Your Food Portions.

If there’s one thing you can do to push your weight and health in the right direction, it’s controlling the amount of food you eat. Portion control is still a huge problem for many of us, especially those of us who eat restaurant food on a regular basis.

If you’re worried that smaller portions will leave you unsatisfied, have no fear: a well-portioned diet should actually leave you feeling more energetic and truly satisfy your hunger.


Here are 5 Easy Ways to Control Your Food Portions:

1- Eat at home more often :

Although there are more restaurants offering health-minded options these days, the best way to ensure that you are sticking to proper portion sizes is to make and serve it yourself. When you do eat out, consider splitting your food with a friend or eating half and taking the leftovers home to eat for another meal.

2- Eat a varied diet:

Instead of eating a lot of two items for dinner, eat smaller portions of different foods. Ideally, each meal should provide a variety of foods from all of the food groups. Start by trying to at least include one lean protein, one whole grain, a fruit and a vegetable in each meal.

3- Buy a portion control tool :

For a little added help, there is a handy-dandy, reasonably priced portion control tool that makes controlling your portions a snap. The Meal Measure 1 Portion Control Tool (about $10 on Amazon) sits on top of your plates and has labeled compartments for your vegetable, fruit, starch and protein

4- Stick out your hand :

Another kind of portion control tool you already have “at hand.” An average adult-sized fist is comparable to about 1 cup of food and is a great guide for portioning out beverages, cereals, casseroles, soups, fresh fruit and salads. The amount of food that would fill a cupped hand equals about ½ cup, and is good for knowing the right sized portion for oatmeal, pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, cooked veggies, and desserts. Your palm (which measures out about 3 ounces) is the best reference for knowing how much meat you should have per meal. And your thumb is about the size of a tablespoon, which is the right amount for salad dressings, peanut butter, sour cream and cream cheese.

5- Divvy it out ahead of time :

If you’re a person who eats on the go often or likes to graze throughout the day, having foods pre-portioned may work best for you. Buy the snack-size (NOT sandwich-size) plastic baggies and measure out the right portions. Some examples of what to measure out include 1/3 cup of nuts, ¼ cup of dried fruit, ½ cup raw veggies, or 1.5 ounces of cheese.

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