The 6 tips you need to help you master portion control

Throw everything you’ve heard about healthy eating out the window. Whether you’re looking to lose weight or improve your eating habits, practicing portion control is the best first step you can take.

As a population, people in the U.S. have been steadily gaining weight over the past century, partly due to ballooning portion sizes. Increased portions lead to increased calorie intake, which leads to weight gain.

It isn’t a hopeless cause, though. Regardless of how much food a manufacturer puts in a package or a restaurant serves on your plate, you control how much you eat. That’s the magic of portion control.

It can be easier said than done, however. To master portion control, you’ll need to retrain your mind and reset your habits.

Portion sizes vs. portion control

As people in the U.S. started gaining weight, researchers began studying the reason behind that increase. Two major factors involved are less exercise and an unhealthy diet.

The “unhealthy diet” has many smaller components, including an increased reliance on processed foods, higher sodium and added sugar intake, fewer veggies and fruit, and more saturated and trans fat in the foods we eat. Research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shines a light on another problem—steadily increasing restaurant portions.

According to the NIH:

• The average bagel 20 years ago was 3 inches in diameter, while today it’s 6 inches in diameter.
• The average burger 20 years ago was 4.5 ounces, while today it’s 8 ounces.
• The average medium bag of popcorn 20 years ago was 5 cups, while today it’s 11 cups.
• The average soda 20 years ago was 6.5 ounces, while today it’s 20 ounces.

These bigger food portions greatly increase the amount of food people eat each day. Eating the same foods as 20 years ago but in today’s portion sizes would result in nearly 1,600 more calories per day.

What can you do to reverse the trend? Start portion controlling those portions.

Tips and tricks for portion control

If portion control seems like a mystery, try these tips:

1. Learn how to read food labels. The nutrition facts label on the back of packaged food can help you control portion size if you understand the information! These labels will identify “recommended serving sizes,” which aren’t the same as portion sizes and don’t necessarily align with how much food you should eat. You’ll need to calculate how much of the product you’ll eat and multiply the calories and other data accordingly.

2. Measure out what you’re eating. Use measuring cups or a food scale to get a more accurate look at how much you’re serving yourself and its corresponding nutritional information. If you don’t have a food scale or measuring cups, read up on simple ways to visualize the serving size for certain foods, such as lean proteins or healthy fats.

3. Use a smaller plate. Serving dinner on a smaller plate will help you control portion size, and you’ll still feel satisfied when you finish the meal. We tend to judge our food by how much space it takes up on the plate, which can trick your eyes and mind into thinking you have plenty of food.

4. Divide your plate into sections. Visually break your plate into three sections. One-half of the plate should contain fruits and veggies, and the remaining half should be divided into two sections. One section should contain lean protein, and one section should contain whole grains. This can help you properly portion out your meals, filling up on the items packing the most nutritional punch.

5. Slow down while you eat. Eating slowly can help you consume less since it gives your stomach time to alert your mind that it’s full, a process that takes about 20 minutes. It also gives you more time to taste and savor the foods you’re eating!

6. Consider keeping a food diary. You can jot down notes about how much you’re eating and when, as well as how you feel afterward. This simple action can help you see the benefits of portion control, including weight loss and improved health.

Feeling less than your best? Schedule a primary care appointment today for a diagnosis and treatment plan.