Food has become so easy to access in recent years – our supermarkets are full of great variety and we are never far away from a shop when we get the munchies. But over the years, the amount of food we are eating has been creeping up, too, whether it's the food we eat at home, in restaurants, or the snack foods and drinks we consume on the go. Unfortunately, expanding portion sizes have also meant expanding waistlines for many of us.
The good news is that small, simple changes to your eating habits can make all the difference. By focusing on the right balance of foods from each of the food groups, you will be guided towards the healthier choices. And you don’t have to completely give up your favourite meal or treat foods - just choose smaller portions.
Think big with some small changes! It’s about how much you eat as well as what you eat.
9 ways to right-size your food portions
1. Eat slowly
Enjoy your meal. Give your body time to give you the signal that you are satisfied.
2. Forget what your mother said!
You don’t have to clean your plate and always try to have some room in your appetite at the end of a meal.
3. Use a smaller plate
Most people use a large dinner plate, which means usually too much food. To encourage smaller portions, try using a smaller dinner plate instead of a large plate and remember this applies to men, women and children.
4. Fill a third of your dinner plate with vegetables or salad
Try not to fill your plate with potatoes, rice or pasta - these should only make up about one third of the food on your plate. For example, one serving of pasta = 3 dessertspoons/2 tablespoons.
5. Eat a piece of raw fruit before lunch and dinner
This will help you to eat a little less, as well as helping you on your way to having 5-a-day of fruit and vegetables. If you have a small bowl of fat-free vegetable soup before meals, you can achieve the same thing.
6. Never eat until you feel full
You will stop feeling hungry long before you feel full - it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register it is full. ‘Filling’ your stomach means you are eating too much. Always leave some room in your stomach at the end of a meal. If you are forcing yourself to finish, you are eating too much.
7. Choose snacks that are packaged in individual portions
These can stop you from eating large portions from bigger packs.
8. Eat just one large meal every day
If you’re having a large meal at lunch then think of it as your main meal and have a smaller portion in the evening. Likewise, if you know you’re going out for a meal in the evening choose something smaller at lunch. Try to balance your portion sizes throughout the day
9. Know when to miniaturize it!
Go for ‘small’ food portions at the cinema or in a fast-food restaurant. These are normally still generous portions.