Easy Portion Control

Are you tired of measuring portions?

Portion control is really quite easy when you learn how to correctly divide your plate.

Try it and see how much weight you can lose.

For portion control you’ll want to fill your plate …
Half full with vegetables and/or fruits
1/4 with protein and 1/4 with a starch

Vegetables – you can choose just about any type of vegetables you want. Experiment with mixed vegetables and spices to add flavor and variety.

It’s best to go easy on corn and peas as these have high starch content and are high in calories. When you fill half your plate with vegetables – there’s no room for mega-calories or supersizing. This is why portion control using a divided plate works.

Protein – fish, poultry and lean meat most of the time. But it’s fine to enjoy a juicy fat steak once in a while too. Just be sure the steak is only 1/4 the size of your plate.

Starch – whole grains, potatoes, bread, tortillas, pasta and pasta (no the bread isn’t a freebie to be added on the side).

Note that beans double as starch and protein.

Still hungry?

Eat more vegetables. By dividing your plate you will be eating enough food to get the nutrients you need as well as feeling full and satisfied.

Easy Portion Control Breakfast Ideas

The divided plate could be 1/2 fruit, 1/4 protein such as eggs or cottage cheese and a slice of toast.
A bowl of whole grain cereal topped with fruit and milk, have a glass of juice or a whole piece of fresh fruit on the side.

Three egg white omelet stuffed with vegetables and topped with salsa, a slice of toast and a glass of juice
Two whole grain waffles topped with chopped fruit and a glass of milk
Yogurt, a small bran muffin and fresh fruit

Easy Portion Control Lunch ideas

Sandwiches using lean meat, poultry or tuna with a fruit or green salad
Bean or lentil soup with a fruit salad
Baked potato topped with broccoli and low fat cheese
Large salad topped with chicken and a whole grain dinner roll
Small hamburger with a side salad
Bean and chicken burrito with a side salad or fresh fruit

Portion Control Dinner Tips

If you’re having a traditional meat and potato dinner, dividing your plate is uncomplicated.
Most casseroles contain starch and protein – therefore what you want to do is fill 1/3 of your plate with the casserole (about 1 cup) and the other 2/3 of the plate with vegetables and/or fruit.
When making a stir-fry use 3/4 vegetables and 1/4 meat. Fill your plate 3/4 with the stir-fry and 1/4 rice.

Don’t see how much food you can pile on top (like at Thanksgiving) – The idea of the plate system is a simple way for you to manage portion control. The meat and starch portion of your plate should not be higher than one inch.

Though dividing your plate for weight loss and maintenance easy …

It’s also important to know Portion Control – Serving Sizes.

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