If you're trying to develop a healthier diet and lifestyle, learning to manage your portion sizes is an important step. Over the past few decades our food has undergone a revolution, meaning that the variety of food available to us (and in turn the amount of it we eat) has got much bigger. Ergo, so have we. Indeed, the latest report from Public Health England showed 61.7% of UK and Ireland adults (65.3% men and 58.1% women) to be overweight or obese.
But well-meaning advice such 'just eat less' is easier said that done. Training yourself to not over-indulge can take time and effort. So we spoke to Frida Harju, in-house nutritionist at health app Lifesum, about why portion control is so important, and how you can achieve it.
"Bigger portions mean that we are likely to eat more food and in turn more calories, which can then lead to unwanted weight gain if you are not exercising enough. Additionally, when combined with the fact that we don't consume enough fruits and vegetables, but instead eat processed and fast foods, portion control becomes even more fundamental to a healthy diet. Even if you cut out unhealthy choices, it is still likely that a bigger portion means that you consume more calories than you really should."
What does a healthy portion actually look like?
Recommended portion sizes vary between individuals, based on various factors such as weight, gender and activity levels. The guideline daily allowance of calories for men is 2,500kcal and 2,000kcal for women, and these should be spread across breakfast, lunch and dinner (with a few set aside for snacks!). With this in mind, take a look at the eatwell plate to get an idea of how to achieve a good balance of vital nutrients in every meal. Bear in mind that when adjusting portion sizes, the overall balance of food groups should remain the same.
It's also important to know your own body: what fills you up and when you should stop eating. The problem a lot of people have is that they keep on eating even when they are full, and this leads to taking on needless extra calories. It's worth keeping a food diary so that you can monitor how different foods make you feel, the points at which you begin to feel full and how often you go back for seconds.
"In terms of knowing that you are full, the best way to measure this is to pay close attention to your stomach. Before each meal, drink a glass of water and see how hungry you feel after a few minutes. A lot of the time thirst can be mistaken for hunger. Once you've done that, assess how full you are throughout the meal. The ideal point is to feel a slight bit of pressure on your stomach and then stop eating. At the end of the meal, you should still be full of energy and relatively light; if you feel heavy and uncomfortably full you overate."
Other 'mind tricks' to help you with portion control may also include…
1. Update your crockery
If you're struggling with portion sizes, the first place you should be looking is your crockery cupboard. If we're using a big plate or bowl, then we automatically heap it with food and overeat. So why not trick yourself into eating less by downsizing?
"When we see empty space on a plate we assume that there isn't enough food on it. Eating from a smaller plate will mean that your plate looks full, you consume less calories than usually and still leave the table feeling full. Eating from a bowl can also be a good way of cutting back on portion sizes, as due to the depth of the bowl you think that you are serving yourself more food that you actually are. However, you should make sure to eat from smaller bowls, as bigger and deeper bowls will work in the same way as a big plate, making you serve yourself more food. "
You can also experiment with the colour of your plate. A study by Cornell University found that if the plate is in a colour contrast with the food being served, people served themselves smaller portions. In contrast, when the colour of the plate matched the food, people tended to eat larger portions.
2. Think ahead
We're all familiar with that slightly uncomfortable feeling of being over-full. It's a sure sign that you've gone a bit OTT with your portions, but a little bit of discipline and forward-thinking can help save you from the clutches of a food coma.
"This is a method used by a nutritionist who works with the USA basketball team, the Lakers. The idea is to use foresight when you eat: as you are eating your meal, imagine eating it again in two hours and if you can't, it means either that the portion is too big or the food is too calorific. This method can work, but is slightly more difficult to measure than the easier trick of eating off smaller plates."
If it's good enough for the Lakers, it's good enough for us! Just remember: you don't actually eat the meal again two hours later (sorry to disappoint).
3. Box up left overs
Cooking for one can be extremely tricky, and it really does throw a spanner in the works when it comes to portion control. No matter how much you really did intend to only eat half of what you cooked and save the rest for another day, it's just too easy to end up creeping back to the pan for seconds…
"Putting away your leftovers before you start eating is a great idea and a very good practice to get into. Not only will you not be tempted to go back for seconds and overeat, but you will also have leftovers to take to work the next day!"
As soon as you're finished cooking, box half of your food up and put it out of sight. That'll make it easier to resist temptation when it inevitably comes calling, and it means you won't have to splurge on a shop-bought lunch at work.
4. Use your hands
Measuring food with your hands has become popular recently, and can be used effectively as a tool to help you achieve correct portion sizes. It allows you to know exactly how much you should be eating without the hassle associated with weighing scales.
"Just as a guide, in terms of meat, you should measure out between one and two palm-sized pieces, for vegetables, as many as possible and ideally the size of two tennis balls. For carbs like rice and pasta, measures should be the size of your clenched fist, or alternatively half a glassful. Lastly, for fats like butters and nuts, a per-meal measure should be the size of two thumbs, or alternatively a handful of nuts a day."