Almost 2 in 3 Australian adults (63%) are overweight or obese
– Australian Institute of Health –
So, here’s a few tips from the Doc to help you control your eating habits and the importance of doing so.
Why is portion control important?
Portion control is an important factor in your journey to maintaining a healthy weight by avoiding overeating. If you have type 2 diabetes or suffer a chronic disease, you need to know how many calories and carbohydrates you’re consuming to understand how they will affect your blood sugar and importantly your health.
So, how do you avoid over-eating?
Doc Tip 1: Don’t skip meals
The Doc recommends eating regular meals (a minimum of three meals a day) and to avoid going longer than five hours without eating. For most people, the best plan is to eat three well-designed meals and one snack. Get some docspiration from the Doc’s range of menus!
Photo by @biancadye of the Doc’s Dukkah Crusted Chicken and Roast Beetroot Salad from our 5 Days Dairy Free menu
Never ever skip meals! When you’re starving, you’re likely to eat a bigger portioned meal. Any of our 5 Day menus (gluten free, dairy free, vegan, pescatarian, vegetarian or healthy balance) can be tailored to you by one of our Doctors and take the guesswork out of portioning your own meals. Plus, they’re purely delicious and full of goodness that you won’t want to skip a single on!
Doc Tip 2: Use a smaller plate
Photo from @thebeautypalate of the Doc’s Black Forrest Fruit Salad with Almond Honey Yoghurt from the Doc’s 5 Days Healthy Balance menu
Our Doc recommends that if possible, plate up the food that’s been personalised to you on your own crockery to visualise your portions so you can replicate it next time yourself.
The average portion-size has grown over the years and sometimes there is enough food on a single plate for 2 or 3 people. Portion distortion is used to describe the changing perceptions of what a normal portion is. These larger portions can easily lead to increased calories in your daily diet. Studies have shown that people who use smaller plates and cups are less likely to overeat compared to people who use their larger counterparts. We tend to underestimate portion-size when served on a bigger plate or when drinks are served in a short, deep glass.
So, the next time you’re plating up your meal, consider reaching for a smaller plate!
Doc Tip 3: Measure your food, in the short term
Photo from @thebeautypalate of the Doc’s Char Grilled Rump Steak with Greek Salad from the Doc’s 5 Days Healthy Balance menu
If you’re serious about implementing portion control in your life, start out by measuring out your food at least for the short term until you are able to visually assess the portion sizes. Learn about the portion-size you should be eating, by allowing our Doctors to show you!
The post Tips from the Doc to help you control your portion-size! appeared first on The Doctor's Kitchen Australia.