How to Measure Food Portions and Eat Right

Losing weight is all about learning and applying better choices every day. One of those is focusing on healthy eating habits. It starts with knowing how to correctly balance all your food choices according to need and continues with learning how to measure individual food portions. Understanding the basics of healthy eating, including food groups and how to get what you need with smaller portions, isn’t as challenging as it may seem. Learn how to measure food portions and achieve your weight loss and fitness goals.

Know Your Food Groups

Healthy eating habits are vital to living a healthy life. A wide variety of foods is important for incorporating plenty of vitamins and minerals into each meal. Here are specific food groups to consider when planning your daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to help you eat healthy portions. 

• Whole Grains: Thanks to the fiber content of whole grains, you’ll feel fuller without consuming as many calories when you incorporate them into your diet. Consider whole-grain bread, pasta, cereals, or oatmeal, and strive to include whole–grain additions when making soups, stews, and casseroles. Refined and highly processed grains do not carry the same fiber content, so try to avoid them when you’re looking to feel full.
• Vegetables: Multi-colored whole veggies supply needed nutrients such as fiber and vitamins A and C, as well as folate and potassium.
• Fruits: Fresh fruits, especially dark berries, apples, bananas, and avocados, provide your body with antioxidants that help protect against chronic illnesses and diseases.
• Protein: Lean meat, poultry, wild-caught fish, beans, eggs, and nuts supply much-needed B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Foods with higher protein levels also help you feel full longer. 
• Dairy: Low-fat milk, cottage cheese, and similar dairy products supply calcium and protein. You can substitute almond or other nut-based milk if needed, but they may supply different proportions of calcium and protein.

How To Measure and Eat Healthy Portions

Planning, preparing meals, and applying portion control can help prevent overeating. However, portion control can be a difficult concept to master. It is easy to have a distorted view of what makes a healthy portion size. Here are some tips for incorporating these healthy eating habits into your everyday life.

Choose Smaller Plates 

If you use bigger plates, bowls, or glasses, you may unconsciously eat or drink more than your body needs. For those interested in eating less, switching to smaller plates and bowls can be a small change that yields significant results. 

You may not even notice that you’re eating a lot less. Give it a try and see if you feel full after eating food from a smaller dish. 

Always Measure or Weigh Your Food

After getting used to a smaller plate, the next step is learning how to measure food portions. Measuring or weighing your portions helps determine how much you should eat at each meal. You can use your smaller dish to get started. Apply the following ratio to eat healthy portions:

• Half the plate of vegetables
• A quarter of the plate for protein
• A quarter of the plate for whole grains or starchy vegetables
• Half a tablespoon of any cheese, oils, or butter

Using your hands is another way to measure food portions without buying extra tools.

Here’s a sample guide to get you started:

• One palm-sized serving of protein for women and two palm-sized servings for men
• One fist-sized serving of vegetables and salad for women and two fist-sized servings for men
• One cupped-hand serving of whole grains for women and two for men
• One thumb-sized serving of fatty foods for women and two for men

The best way to measure food for weight loss is with a kitchen scale. Investing in a food scale can be beneficial as you form better habits and have money available. The SF5 app and other online sources can help you learn and perfect your food-measuring skills.

This is only a rough guide. Your lifestyle influences how much fuel your body needs, so adjust as needed. Talking to a nutritionist, dietician, or primary care doctor for specific dietary needs can also be a good idea.

Plan and Store Meals in the Correct Portions

Once you determine the proper portions, using food portion containers makes it easy to split the food you prepare for future meals. When you’re hungry, grabbing a pre-portioned container from your fridge is easy.

If you plan ahead instead of waiting until you’re hungry and tired, eating a healthy portion of a meal you will enjoy without overindulging is easier. Invest in a set of storage containers correctly proportioned for a nutritious meal, then immediately divide multi-serving meals into separate containers instead of serving them from a larger container. Do this with leftovers as well.

It’s quick and easy to grab a prepared meal and reheat it as needed. It’s also less expensive, healthier, and tastes better than the choices you often find in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store.

Read the Fine Print

Any time you pick up a package of food, make it a habit to read the nutrition label. Don’t just glance at the calories; read further and find out what the company uses as its serving size measurement. Is it reasonable? The more you do this and take advantage of food journaling methods such as the ones available on the SF5 app, the more you will become aware of appropriate serving sizes and how to measure them.

Eat Less When Eating Out

Many restaurants serve large portions, which has affected America’s skewed perception of proper meal sizing. If you enjoy eating out regularly, here are some ways to apply portion control to your meals:

• Ask for a half portion.
• When you order, ask for a takeaway box, and divide your meal before eating.
• Eat half the meal and bring the rest home for later. 
• Share a meal with your partner. 
• Order from the children’s menu.
• Pick a starter and side dish rather than an entrée. 
• Ask for sauces or dressings on the side. 
• Avoid buffets or all-you-can-eat restaurants.

These tips can help you avoid overindulging and stick to the healthy portion sizes. 

Truvy Can Help

Measuring food portions can create healthy eating habits that lead to a healthier life. Truvy and its abundance of health products also support your efforts, promoting overall health and weight loss. Discover all the Truvy products and what each can offer as you improve your lifestyle.

*THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.