A recent article in Cooking Light provided 10 little secrets of portion control.  These tips are based on recent studies and ongoing research about overeating.  It’s great common sense advice!

Divide the Plate

Fill one half with veggies and split the remaining half between starches and protein.

Pre-Portion Tempting Treats

Bigger packages mean you will eat more.  Divvy up those large bags into small snack-size bags that are ready to grab and go.

Skip the Bread Basket

…and the tortilla chips.   A third of people polled after eating at an Italian restaurant couldn’t remember how much bread they ate before their meal.

Downsize Your Dishes

Using smaller plates and bowls limits our portion space automatically.

Limit Your Choices

More options means less control. Think about the last time you went to the Cheesecake Factory.  Enough Said.

You Get to Make the Rules

If you are the nutritional gatekeeper in your home you control 72% of the food eaten by everyone else.  Use that power for good.

Avoid A See-Food Diet

Keep treats, snacks, candy and other tempting goodies out of sight so it’s truly out of mind!

Turn off the TV

Have you ever snacked through an episode of LOST only to realize you ate an entire bag of Pop Chips?  TV watching is distracting and it becomes the mindless munch!

Think Before You Drink

If you drink juice, milk or other beverages besides water be careful of the glass size.  Using a tall, thin glass tricks your eye and it looks like you are drinking more.  Short glasses filled with the same amount look like a smaller portion.  If you’re still in doubt about portion sizes for drinks use a measuring glass.

Serve Good-For-You Foods Family Style

Leave the main dish and starchy sides on the stove and bring the salad and veggies to the table so you dish up the healthy stuff for seconds.

To read the complete article at Cooking Light click here.

Now go run!

Keli 🙂