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As food portions have become bigger over the years, so have our waistlines. The ever-growing portions served at restaurants and at home have resulted in chronic overeating and obesity the world over.
The first step to a healthier eating plan and successful weight loss is a better understanding of the amounts of foods you should be eating. Better control of your daily food portion sizes will lead to better control of your kilojoule-intake and, ultimately, to the achievement of your weight loss goals.
The average person should eat the following daily portions: 2 - 3 portions of fruit, 3 - 5 portions of non-starchy vegetables, 2 - 3 portions of dairy products, 6 - 8 portions of starchy food (grains and starchy vegetables), 3 portions of protein and 2 - 3 portions of fat. (Bear in mind that the number of starch and protein portions may vary according to your age and activity levels.)
But what do healthy portion sizes for the different food groups look like? The easiest way to regulate your food portions is to use common visual cues as your guideline. The size of your hand or common everyday objects such as a cup, tennis ball or pack of cards make much more sense than abstract numbers of grams and millilitres.
While not all foods perfectly match visual cues, using some general cues does make you think twice before you dish up and helps to provide a good estimate of how much food you are actually eating. If, at first glance, some of the portions seem on the small side, don’t panic! You’re allowed to eat multiple portions from each food group and can spread them out over the course of the day.
(Sources: www.5aday.co.za; http://www.mayoclinic.com; http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com; www.medicinenet.com; http://www.sparkpeople.com)
Portion-size your plate
A healthy plate for a balanced meal should look as follows: Half of your plate should consist of an assortment of vegetables and/or fruit; a quarter of your plate should consist of low-fat proteins (baked, steamed or grilled) and the other quarter should consist of starches (preferably whole grains, as well as starchy vegetables, such as potatoes or corn).
Fruit portions
You should aim for 2 to 3 portions of fruit per day. One portion of fruit is equivalent to the size of a tennis ball. That is: one medium apple, orange, peach or pear, about six strawberries, two small plums, or kiwi fruit, half a banana (or one full banana if small variety) or half a grapefruit.
Other fruit portions would be a thick slice of melon, one cup of cut fruit, one cup of small berries or half a cup of fruit juice.
Very sweet fruit should be eaten in small quantities: one portion equals 12 to 15 grapes, 2 to 3 pieces of dried fruit, a handful of raisins, a handful of dried banana chips or 2 dates or dried figs.
Non-starchy vegetables
One non-starchy vegetable portion equals 1 cup of raw vegetables or half a cup of cooked vegetables. (A cup represents the size of your fist, whereas half a cup represents your cupped hand.)
Other vegetable portions are: half a cup of legumes (such as beans and peas), 2 cups of leafy greens like lettuce or spinach, 1 cup of 100% vegetable juice, 2 medium carrots, five broccoli florets, three celery sticks or one tomato.
You can snack on non-starchy vegetables as much as you like, as long as you get at least 3 to 5 portions of veggies a day.
Starchy vegetables
Starchy vegetables include root vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, vegetable grains such as mealies, and the pumpkin family. These veggies form important staple foods in many countries as they are very nutritious, an important source of energy and keep you satisfied for longer. They are higher in kilojoules than other vegetables and are often grouped with starches like grains, pastas and cereals.
Take note that besides your 3 to 5 portions of non-starchy vegetables per day, you can still consume 6 to 8 portions of starch per day, which includes both starchy vegetables and grains.
One starchy vegetable portion equals one medium baked potato (the size of a deck of cards), one mealie, half a baked sweet potato or one cup of cooked butternut, pumpkin or squash.
Starches
Starches form the basis of a balanced diet.You are allowed 6 to 8 portions per day, depending on your age and activity levels. Apart from starchy vegetables, starches include grains such as wheat, oats, barley, rice, bread, cereals and pasta.
One starch serving is equal to one slice of white or wholegrain bread, one small roll, one cup of dry cereal, one cup of cooked oats, maize or Maltabella porridge, one cup of cooked pasta or brown rice, or 3 Provitas.
Protein portions
Include one portion of protein with every meal. One portion of meat, poultry or fish equals a deck of cards or the size and thickness of the palm of your hand.
Serving sizes for other proteins are 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or hummus, 1 to 2 eggs, a third cup of dry beans or lentils, a handful of almonds or peanuts, a cup of milk or yoghurt or half a cup of cottage cheese.
Dairy portions
One portion of dairy or cheese equals: half a cup of cottage cheese, 1 cup of milk or yoghurt, half a cup of frozen yoghurt or ice cream; three small (dice-sized) cubes of hard cheese or one piece the size of a matchbox or three tablespoons of grated cheese. (It’s handy to remember that a tablespoon represents your thumb in size.)
Fat portions
Fats should be eaten sparingly because they provide kilojoules but not much in the way of nutrition. Add one serving of fat to a meal.
One fat portion equals 1 tablespoon or a dice-sized portion of margarine or oil, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of salad dressing, 1 tablespoon of nuts, a quarter of an avocado or 5-8 olives.
(Sources: www.5aday.co.za; http://www.mayoclinic.com; http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com; www.medicinenet.com; http://www.sparkpeople.com)
(Birgit Ottermann, Health24)
