In today's world, where obesity is a growing concern, and fad diets come and go, establishing sustainable, healthy eating habits is more important than ever. Portion control, a cornerstone of healthy eating, offers a balanced and effective approach to managing food intake without restrictive dieting. Unlike fad diets, portion control doesn't demand eliminating favorite foods; instead, it emphasizes mindful awareness of the amount of food consumed. This article delves into the benefits of portion control plates, exploring how they can be a valuable tool in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Understanding Portion Control
Portion control involves paying attention to the amount of food you're putting on your plate. Unlike a diet, which often requires refraining from eating certain foods, portion control doesn’t restrain what you eat. If you have a favorite comfort food, you don’t have to give it up. You simply eat smaller servings. Being more mindful about what you’re eating-and using portion control-can be a healthier way of achieving your goals because you don’t feel deprived. This seemingly small adjustment can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being.
The Importance of Mindful Eating
One of the key aspects of portion control is mindful eating. Your body takes approximately 20 minutes to recognize that it’s been fed. If you race through your meal, you’re more likely to overeat because the cues that indicate you’re full haven’t had time to reach the brain. Eating slowly allows a person’s brain time to realize their stomach is full. According to the NIDDK, this may take at least 15 minutes. A 2019 study examined how a person’s eating rate can affect their post-meal responses. It found that the people in the group with the slower eating rate felt fuller after a meal. This supports the idea that eating slower can be an effective strategy for portion control and reducing a person’s food intake.
Do you usually eat in the living room with the TV on? That means you probably aren’t fully savoring the flavors of your food or recognizing the fullness cues. By eliminating distractions and focusing on the act of eating, individuals can better recognize when they are truly full, preventing overeating.
The Role of Portion Control Plates
The beginning of a new way of eating seems like a good time for a new set of plates, right? Using a smaller plate is one way to trick your mind into thinking you’re actually eating more because the amount of food looks bigger on the plate.
Read also: Effectiveness of Portion Control Diet Containers
How Portion Control Plates Work
Most portion control plates designate how much of the plate a person should fill with each type of food:
- 1/2 for vegetables
- 1/4 for protein
- 1/4 for carbohydrates
A 2022 review looked at the use of portion control plates. They found most research indicates that using such a portion control plate is effective in helping people change their portion size. Plate portion control can prevent overeating and help to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Benefits of Using Portion Control Plates
Visual Guide: Portion plates can help you to get the right balance of protein and other nutrients like carbohydrates and veggies. They also provide a visual guide on how much you should be eating, which can be beneficial if you are trying to reach specific nutritional goals. By using these plates properly you will get all the necessary nutrition without counting individual calories or sinking into unhealthy portion sizes.
Balanced Nutrition: Portion plates can help you to get the right balance of protein and other nutrients like carbohydrates and veggies. If you’re trying to lose weight or eat healthier, it’s important to fill at least half of your plate with vegetables. Or protein, if you are post bariatric surgery. Protein is one of the essential macronutrients that you need to fuel your body. To ensure you’re getting the right amount, use portion control plates to count your protein sources. If you are post bariatric surgery then you can use half of your plate for protein and quarter for vegtables. The other quarter of your plate should consist of healthy carbohydrates. When pairing carbohydrates with proteins, try to make sure you are eating from a wide variety of colors as these will offer different nutrients.
Sustainable Progress: A portion control plate helps with weight loss in several ways. First, it supports healthy and sustainable progress towards your goal rather than causing frustration or burnout from restrictive dieting and hunger pangs. Using a portion control plate can also help to stabilize blood sugar. Plus, it simplifies weight loss by eliminating calorie counting and measuring.
Training Tool: A portion control plate does more than help you measure out your food. It trains you to recognize what an appropriate amount of food is for your needs. Research shows that the larger your plate, the more food you put on it[1]. So, a larger plate makes it more likely you'll overeat. Setting healthy meal expectations makes for a powerful shift in the way you eat. You won't have to calorie count anymore. You won't have to measure. But you'll still eat just what you need and only what you need.
Scientific Evidence Supporting Portion Control Plates
In two studies with a total of 110 university students, we determined whether the use of the portion control plate would result in smaller food portions compared to a larger dinner plate. The portion control plate was smaller and incorporated portion size indicators. The portion control plate produced smaller self-selected servings in both studies. Portion control plates have the potential to reduce self-selected portion sizes.
The findings of the study indicate that use of a portion control plate resulted in smaller portion sizes for protein, starch, and vegetables. In Study 1, interactions notwithstanding, participants served smaller portions (33% less chicken, 41% less rice, and 16% less peas) on the portion control plate than the regular dinner plate. In Study 2, participants served smaller portions (12% less chicken, 25% less rice, and 16% less peas) on the portion control plate than the regular dinner plate.
Using Portion Control Plates Effectively
Wondering what a portion even is? An appropriate portion varies by food. The first is to look at dietary guidelines, such as the USDA’s MyPlate. These guidelines break down how much you need of certain foods and can even help you visualize how much to eat. To understand portions, you’ll also want to understand serving size. In the past, the serving size identified on a nutrition label was often quite different from the reality of what people actually eat. Take a look at food labels in your pantry or at the grocery store. Near the top of the label, you’ll find the serving size that aligns with the nutritional information, which can help you moderate what you’re eating.
The Plate Method
However, a person does not need to purchase specialized plates to use what some refer to as “the plate method.” To use the plate method without a portion control plate, follow these tips:
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- Start with a plate that is around 9 inches across.
- Fill 1/2 of it with nonstarchy vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts.
- Fill 1/4 with lean proteins, such as chicken, salmon, or cottage cheese.
- Fill the other 1/4 with complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, potatoes, or beans.
Tips for Effective Portion Control
Vegetable Variety: If you’re trying to lose weight or eat healthier, it’s important to fill at least half of your plate with vegetables. Or protein, if you are post bariatric surgery. Eating a variety of vegetables can provide your body with important vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber, which keeps your gastrointestinal system healthy. Keep things interesting by mixing up the types of vegetables you use or incorporating them into delicious recipes. A great way to make sure you eat a diversity of vegetables, is to set up your plate with a variety of color.
Protein Power: Protein is one of the essential macronutrients that you need to fuel your body. To ensure you’re getting the right amount, use portion control plates to count your protein sources. If you are post bariatric surgery then you can use half of your plate for protein and quarter for vegtables. To make sure you’re getting the right protein-to-vegetable ratio, portion control plates are a great tool. The plate is divided into three sections - one part for lean protein such as white meat poultry, fish, and lean beef; one for vegetables and salad; and the last for carbohydrates such as pasta or potatoes. It’s also a good way to ensure that you’re getting the full spectrum of nutrients in your meals.
Healthy Carbohydrates: The other quarter of your plate should consist of healthy carbohydrates. Whole grain breads, pasta, rice, quinoa, and oatmeal are all great sources of complex carbohydrates that give your body long lasting energy throughout the day. Incorporate a variety of colors throughout the week to get a balanced array of vitamins and minerals. Plate portion control can prevent overeating and help to promote a healthy lifestyle. When pairing carbohydrates with proteins, try to make sure you are eating from a wide variety of colors as these will offer different nutrients.
Additional Portion Control Strategies
Cooking for yourself when you’re trying to lose weight can be challenging. When you’re first starting to establish healthy eating habits, it can be difficult to eyeball food and estimate a serving. Because recommended portion size varies based on a number of factors, including your age, gender and activity level, it’s important to read up on how much you should be eating. Once you know a target calorie range overall, you can look at what constitutes a serving of specific foods, such as rice, bread, cottage cheese or an apple.
If the tips above still seem a little too complicated, you can simplify things. When you’re eating at home, serve yourself only half as much food as you think you want. Portion half of your meal on another plate, then proceed with eating what remains on your plate. When you’ve eaten what’s on your plate, pause. If you still feel hungry after that, eat half of what’s on the other plate.
Measuring and Visualizing Portions
Measuring cups can help people gauge specific amounts to eat. Although individuals can buy cups designed for portion control, they do not necessarily require them. People can use any cup, mug, or container that measures a specific amount as part of a portion control plan.
People may be able to measure out portion size using their hands. One example is measuring out food relative to parts of their hand:
- Carbohydrates: 1 palm-sized portion, such as rice or beans
- Protein: 1 hand-sized portion, such as fish or chicken
- Fruit: 1 palm-sized portion
- Vegetables: 2 palm-sized portions
- Cheese: 2 finger-sized portions
Mindful Eating When Dining Out
When eating out, people should avoid larger or supersized portions. Individuals may find that portion control and weight loss are easier without extra food already on their plates. This means a person can refuse the bread basket on the table. They can also consider whether they really want or need the french fries with their burger. Requesting to remove certain items can make it easier for a person to manage their portion and not eat more than what they need to. An individual can ask for half of their meal as takeout before they begin eating. They may even wish to share a meal with someone else to reduce the portion size.
Hydration and Food Diaries
One small 2018 study investigated the effect of drinking water before a meal. It showed that a glass of water before eating can help people feel fuller despite eating less. Keeping a food diary or tracker app can help people be aware of how much food they consume. This can, in turn, help manage their food portions.
The Broader Context of Healthy Eating
Globally, dietary guideline recommendations indicate adherence to a healthy eating pattern, high in healthy food groups and low in energy-dense nutrient-poor foods, is essential for the prevention of mortality and morbidity from diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [1,2]. A large body of evidence indicates that unhealthy diets low in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and wholegrains are major contributors to deaths and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) [3,4,5,6]. A systematic review with meta-analyses has demonstrated convincing evidence to support healthy dietary patterns with decreased risks of colon and breast cancer, and alternately, an association between unhealthy dietary patterns and increased risk of colon cancer [7].
The Healthy Eating Plate
Use the Healthy Eating Plate as a guide for creating healthy, balanced meals-whether served at the table or packed in a lunch box. Use healthy oils (like olive and canola oil) for cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter. Drink water, tea, or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk/dairy (1-2 servings/day) and juice (1 small glass/day). The more veggies - and the greater the variety - the better. Eat a variety of whole grains (like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice).
The Healthy Eating Plate encourages consumers to use healthy oils, and it does not set a maximum on the percentage of calories people should get each day from healthy sources of fat. The Healthy Eating Plate does not define a certain number of calories or servings per day from each food group. The relative section sizes suggest approximate relative proportions of each of the food groups to include on a healthy plate.