Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_-_January_2020

BEEF STEW

250g

2 ladlefuls

265kcal

BOLOGNESE

250g

2 ladlefuls

405kcal

CHILLI CON

CARNE

250g

2 ladlefuls

300kcal

SOUP

300g

½ x 600g carton

115kcal (based on

vegetable soup)

COLESLAW

30g

1 rounded tablespoon

50kcal

FRENCH DRESSING

15g

1 tablespoon

50kcal

MAYONNAISE

15g

1 level tablespoon

105kcal

PICKLE

15g

1 level tablespoon

15kcal

BAGUETTE

80g

10cm piece

(^1 / 5 baguette)

210kcal

CHICKEN CURRY
250g
2 ladlefuls
320kcal (based on
homemade chicken korma)

THINKING SMALL

JANUARY 2020 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 31

WEIGHT LOSS

DOWNSIZE

YOUR PLATES

Supersized plates mean

supersized portions and

the more food that’s in

front of us, the more we

eat, regardless of how

hungry we are. It’s one of

the oldest tricks in the

book, but serving food on

a smaller plate really can

help you get to grips with

sensible portions.

SWITCH FROM A

PLATE TO A BOWL

Serving food in different

crockery gets around

preconceived ideas of how

much food you expect to

have on your plate. For

example, cutting your

usual portion of rice in

half will be noticeable if

you serve it on your usual

plate. But put it into a bowl

and you have no visual

comparison, making it

easier to accept the

smaller portion. Remember

always to use small bowls.

USE A KNIFE

It will help to slow down

the speed at which you

eat. This is important for

regaining better portion

control because it takes

the brain around 15–20

minutes to recognise

feelings of fullness,

regardless of the amount

eaten. Using just a fork

means we can shovel

food into our mouth far

more quickly, making it

much easier to eat a huge

plateful of food in a short

space of time.

AVOID DOUBLING

UP ON CARBS

Having two servings of

carb-rich foods effectively

doubles our portion size

and therefore calorie

intake. We’re talking

garlic bread with lasagne,

bread and butter with fish

and chips, dough balls

with pizza, mashed potato

with a pastry-topped pie,

mash with stew and

dumplings, naan bread

with curry and rice, cereal

and toast, or hash browns

with a cooked breakfast...

Stick to one carb and

you’ve already halved

your portions!

DEAL WITH

LEFTOVERS

BEFORE YOU

START EATING

Once you’ve served up,

transfer leftovers to a

container, cover it and

set aside to cool. If food

is left in the pan, there’s

more chance you’ll

help yourself to a

bigger portion or go

back for seconds.

TURN A FEW

MOUTHFULS INTO

A NEW MEAL

It’s easy to pile those last

few spoonfuls on to your

plate if there isn’t quite

enough for another meal

• it seems wasteful to
  throw them away, after all.
  But even small amounts of
  food can be turned into
  new dishes. For example,
  a few spoonfuls of chilli
  are perfect for popping
  into a wrap with grated
  reduced-fat cheese and
  salad for lunch; a little
  pasta can be added to
  soup (you won’t need any
  bread); and a small
  amount of mash is ideal
  for making fishcakes. Get
  more ideas for tasty ways
  to use up leftovers at
  lovefoodhatewaste.com.