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How to avoid mistaken portion sizes to control your weight

If you eat out at restaurants, you may have noticed that portion sizes have gotten bigger in recent years. This trend has also spread to grocery stores and food vending machines where bagels have become BAGELS and an “individual” bag of chips is easily enough for more than one person. Research indicates that people inadvertently consume more calories when offered larger portions. This can result in excessive calorie consumption, especially when consuming high-calorie foods. Here are some tips to help you avoid some common mistakes when calculating serving sizes

How to control portions when eating out. Many restaurants serve more food than one person needs at one meal. You can take control of the amount of food on your plate by splitting an entree in half with a friend. You can also ask the waiter, as soon as your plate is served, to bring you a small box to pack up half of the meal and take it home.

. To avoid the temptation to refill your plate over and over again when eating at home, bring food to the table on individual plates, rather than putting serving trays on the table. By keeping extra food out of reach, you can avoid overeating.

ways to control how much food you eat while watching TV. Instead of eating directly from the packet when dining or snacking in front of the TV, serve the amount you intend to consume on a plate or container... It is so simple to overeat while you're distracted by other thoughts.

Eat fruit between meals

Go ahead, eat between meals. As children, we were taught not to eat before main meals for fear that we would fill up and not be able to finish what was served to us. Well, it's time to forget about that old-fashioned rule. If you get hungry between meals, eat a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or a small salad to prevent overeating at the next meal.

Be aware of the size of the containers or large bags. For some reason, the bigger the container, the more people consume without realizing it. To reduce this effect:

Divide the contents of huge bags or containers into several smaller containers to avoid consuming too much.

Do not eat directly from the bag or container. Instead, serve food on a small plate or container.

Out of sight, out of mind. People tend to eat more when food is within their reach. Make your home a "portion control zone."

Replace the candy jar with a tray of fruit.

• Store tempting foods like cookies, chips, and ice cream out of sight, such as on top of the cupboard or in the back of the freezer. Put the healthiest foods in plain sight.

• When purchasing large quantities of food, keep the extra inaccessible by placing it in a high cabinet or the back of the pantry.

Instead of dessert, provide a fruit tray.

Related Resources

• The United States Department of Agriculture's MyPlate Planexternal icon was created to promote healthy eating and to encourage consumers to make healthy choices.

• Do you want to know how much of each food group you need daily? Get informed and receive a personalized daily meal plan external icon.

• The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Portion Distortion Quizexternal icon shows how the serving sizes of some common foods have changed over the years.

• See how the food labels external icon can help you understand serving sizes.

• Does increasing portion size affect how much we eat? pdf iconThis review examines the notion that large portions have contributed to weight gain among Americans. It also offers ideas for advising patients or clients on portion sizes.