A portion of fat and a portion of meat are not of the same size. It is important to know exactly what a portion is.

To keep things as simple as possible, we will be using the following size indicators: fist size, palm size, matchbox, teaspoon, and a cup.

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From the list below you can literally choose any one of the portions from the protein list for the protein portion in your meal plan. The same goes for carbohydrates (starches), fats, dairy products, vegetables as well as the rest.

Take the facts into account in the Important Notes en there you are, on the road to a healthier body.

Here is a list of the portion sizes of the different food groups:

Carbohydrates
1 portion
= 1 slice of brown of wholewheat bread
= Half a brown or wholewheat roll
= half a pita bread
= half a cup of oats or mealie porridge
= half a cup of cereal (All Bran)
= half a cup of pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous
= 2 ProVitas
= 1 small potato
= 1 small sweet potato
= 1 c pumpkin
= 1 c butternut
= 1 c brown rice
= 1 c beetroot
= 1 c onion
= 1 c thick soup
= 1 c carrots
= 1/2 c of baked dried beans or lentils
= 1/2 c corn on the cob
= half a wholewheat muffin
= 1 small wholewheat biscuit

Fruit
1 portion
= 1 small fresh fruit of any type
= half a cup of unsweetened fruit juice
= half a cup of tinned fruit juice

Vegetable
1 portion
= half a cup of frozen beetroot, pumpkin, carrots, peas and butternut
Of the following vegetables you can eat as much as you want to: lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green pepper, mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, brinjal, gem squash, green beans.

Dairy
1 portion
= half a cup of skim milk or low fat milk
= half a cup of low fat yoghurt = half a cup of butter milk

Protein
1 portion
= palm size red meat (without fat), or chicken with no skin, or fish (not fried in oil)
= matchbox size low fcat cheeses such as mozzarella and Lichten blanc
= 2 matchbox size (60g) cottage cheese
= 1 boiled egg
= 1 teaspoon peanut butter
= half a cup of baked beans or lentils

Fats
1 portion
= 1 teaspoon butter
= 2 teaspoons light margarine
= 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise of light salad dressing
= 1 tablespoon sauce
= 1 teaspoon sunflower-, canola or olive oil
= one quarter of an avocado pear

Important notes
1. Do not add any sugar or fats to the food.
2. Drink water when you're thirsty. You can also drink Coke Lite, Sprite Zero, Lemon Lite, Tab, Brooks Low cal cordials or Lite Iced Tea.
3. Prepare white sauce with skim milk.
4. Drink caffeine-free coffee and tea tee, and rooibos en herbal teas as you like them.
5. Do not eat more than three eggs per week – preferably without the egg yolk, if possible.
6. Do not eat red meat more than three times per week.
7. Limit your alcohol intake to two units per week. Every glass of wine counts as one carbohydrate portion.
8. Add fresh herbs, such as basil, rosemary, thyme and parsley to flavour your food, rather than using lost of salt.
9. Exercise. No eating plan is really going to help you unless you are active and following an exercise plan.
10. Don't eat for 45 minutes before or after exercising. Eat 45 to 60 minutes after exercising.
 

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