Portion Control

on Tuesday, 01 October 2013. Posted in Doctor of Fitness

The latest reports are in, and it’s official. Americans continue to pile on the pounds. Nearly 20% of American youth are overweight or obese, and a staggering 68% of American adults tip the scales as overweight or obese as well. Food costs are on their way up too, and it’s tough work to feed a family well while sticking to a budget.

One common factor can help trim the fat from your waistline and your grocery budget: portion size.

You’ve just hauled the groceries in from the car, and before you can get everything put away, the kids tear into the cookies and the chips. Within a day, the goodies are gone. Measuring cups and small serving dishes can help everyone get a grip on oversize eating. Prepare your portion by measuring or counting your serving before you begin eating to make sure you don’t eat more than you intend. Eating just the serving size will stretch out those pricey packages.

Easy Resources:

Even with healthy fruits and vegetables, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the right amounts. The CDC maintains a useful resource in their “What Counts as a Cup?” webpage. You’ll learn how to gauge the right serving amount of fruits and veggies with just a quick glance. No more guesswork to know if you’ve got enough of the good stuff. You can also head over to ChooseMyPlate.gov to get a healthy eating plan tailored to anyone in the family.

Do what’s good for your health and your wallet this fall.

Correctly size your meal plan by paying careful attention to portions.
Look online for useful tools to manage your daily diet without actually dieting.

Before long, you’ll see the results of better health and a more flexible budget.