Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_-_January_2020

Ulster saw adults serve themselveslargerportionsof
‘healthier’ cereals, drinks andcoleslawthantheydid
for the standard versions. Itwouldseemthatthere’s
less guilt linked to healthy foodssoweeatmore.
What we serve our food inathomehasalsofollowed
the super-size trend. The surfaceareaofa dinnerplate
is estimated to have increasedby36%sincethe1960s,
affecting how much food weaddtoit. Puta 230gserving
of pasta on an old-fashioned20cmdiameterplateand
the plate looks quite full – butputit ona modernplate
with a 30cm diameter andthere’sa lotofemptyspace.
So just how can we get backtoa sensibleandhealthy
serving that provides us withthenutrientsweneedwhile
helping maintain our weight?Overthefollowingpages
you’ll find a quick visual guidetohelpyoufindyournew
‘normal’ for 98 everyday foods– onceyou’vereadjusted,
these serving sizes will becomesecondnature.

TRIMYOURWAIST& CUTWASTE

Aswellasbenefitingourwaistlineandoverall

health,consumingsmallerportionsizeswillmean

webuylessfoodoverall,whichis a winforour

wallets,too.Andlessfoodmeanslesspackaging,

whichis importantfortheenvironment.

Betterportioncontrolis alsoessentialforreducingfoodwaste.

AccordingtoLoveFoodHateWaste,a massivefivemilliontonnes

ofperfectlygoodfoodis thrownawayeachyearbyhouseholdsin

theUK.Arounda quarterofthisis leftovers,wherewe’veprepared

toomuchfoodandcan’tordon’twanttoeatit.Thiswastedfood

endsupinlandfill,wherebacteriabreakit down,creatingmethane

• a harmful,climate-changinggreenhousegas– intheprocess.If we
  gettogripswithsensibleportions,wecanpotentiallywasteless
  food,whichis greatnewsfortheplanet.

IF YOU’RE NEW

TO PORTION

CONTROL, use our

guide to weigh out the

recommended portionsof

foods you frequentlyeat,

then transfer them tothe

plate or bowl you normally

use so you get a senseof

how they look when

served up.

USE HOUSEHOLD

ITEMS such as mugs,

glasses, bowls and spoons

to keep a check on

portion sizes. Our guide

uses them as an easy

comparison so you don’t

need to keep gettingout

the weighing scales. For

example, once you’ve

weighed out a portionof

rice or pasta, transferit to

a cup and mark whereit

comes up to. Then usethe

cup in future to measure

out portions of the food.

USE A SPOON TO

MEASURE OUToil,

salad dressings, pickles,

mayo and sauces, rather

than helping yourself

directly from the bottles

or jars. There are 100kcal

in just 1tbsp oil, so it’s

important to avoid

‘guestimating’ how much

you add to meals.

ALWAYS USE A

TABLESPOON TO

SERVE UP CARBS

LIKE PASTA, rice,

couscous, mashed potato

and quinoa. Serving carbs

on to the plate usinga

tablespoon rather than

a large cooking spooncan

help bring portions back

under control. And usea

tablespoon for measuring

Choose your

muffins wisely.

A large chocolate

one, for instance,

can be as high

as 480kcal, and

even a standard

size hits 327kcal.

A mini has

109kcal, making

it the best choice

for your teabreak

outbreakfastcereals,

granolaandoats,rather

thanshakingthemfrom

thepacketintoa bowl.

CONTROLTHE

PORTIONSIZESOF

HEALTHYFOODS,

TOOPorridge,brown

rice,beans,chickenand

fishareallgreatchoices

fora healthydiet,butthey

stillcontaincaloriessoyou

can’teatendlessamounts

ofthemif youwantto

maintaina healthyweight.

A smallgrilledchicken

breastweighs100gand

contains148kcal.Upsize

toa largechickenbreast

thatweighs150gand

youhave222kcal– an

extra74kcal.Bearinmind,

just 100 morecalories

thanweneedeveryday

canleaveuswithan

unwantedweightgain

of10lbina year.

KEEPAFOOD

PHOTODIARY

FORAWEEKtoget

a clearpictureofyour

portionsizes.Takea photo

ofeveryplatefuloffood

youeatandcompare

themwiththeportions

recommendedinour

guide.Recognisingthat

yourportionsaretoobig

is thefirststeponthe

roadtoreducingthem.

CONSTANTLY

KEEPACHECK

ONYOUR

PORTIONSIZES

asit’seasyforthemto

graduallycreepbackup

whenyou’renotpaying

attention.Keepthisguide

handyasa usefulwayto

reviewthemnowandthen.

HOW TO DOWNSIZE

JANUARY 2020 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 25

WEIGHT LOSS