(NC)—Do you suffer from portion distortion? It's not uncommon with the range of shapes and sizes of plates and eating utensils nowadays. But help is here. The Canadian Diabetes Association recommends using the Plate Method as a visual guide to ensuring you are getting the right portion sizes of types of food. It is the simplest method available.
Use your hands to help with portionsHave you ever used your hands as measuring instruments? They are always with you and will help you on the path to understanding healthy portions.
Keep control of your portions by thinking of the "space on your plate "A well-balanced plate will consist of 1/4 protein (e.g. chicken or fish), 1/4 starch (e.g. rice, pasta, couscous) and 1/2 vegetables. Add milk to drink and fresh fruit for dessert and you are well nourished at a moderate calorie expense.
Double check your serving sizeMost of us are victims of the supersize phenomenon. Research shows that people who are presented with larger containers of food eat more than those consuming snacks from smaller containers. Make this work for you. Eat your dinner on the smaller luncheon plate—your serving will look larger and more satisfying.
Good things come in small packagesIf you want to "splurge" on some treat, as we all do at some time, think in terms of a single size container: not a whole chocolate bar, but the mini size, not a 200g bag of potato chips, but a 43 g size. This will give you the indulgence of a treat that you want, but allow you to stop while the calorie count is still low.
Look for more ideas in the Canadian Diabetes Association new resource, Beyond the Basics available online at https://orders.diabetes.ca.
Credit: www.newscanada.com
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