Portion control is important for maintaining good health and weight. Balanced meals and snacks, including fruits and vegetables, are necessary. Serving sizes should be controlled, and extra food should be stored away to avoid overeating.
Portion control means that food is eaten in quantities considered to promote good health. Eating too large portions of food can cause weight gain if the body absorbs more energy than it can burn through exercise. Portion control along with regular exercise is necessary to maintain or lose weight.
Successfully controlling daily food portions means that the diet is balanced in nutrients, calories and fat. Too many calories and too much fat lead to weight gain, and not enough nutrients can cause overall poor health. In other words, both the quantity and quality of food consumed each day is important. Eating small portions of foods that are high in fat or low in nutrients is unhealthy. Balanced meals and snacks each day are necessary to maintain good health and body weight.
Most people need three balanced meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner or dinner – plus two healthy snacks each day to stay healthy. A balanced meal is balanced in both food groups and portion sizes. For example, the recommended amount of protein such as meat or fish for a meal is a serving the size of a standard deck of playing cards. A starchy or grain item such as rice or potatoes can be similar in size to the protein serving. At least half of your plate should be taken up with fruits or vegetables for nutritious portion control.
Fruits and vegetables provide many essential vitamins. They are also a good source of fiber needed by the body for proper digestion. Larger portions of fruits and vegetables are healthy as they contain very few calories and no fat, as long as no sauces, butter, high-fat dressings and oils are added.
Proper portion control can be challenging when people are still hungry after eating a balanced meal. If serving dishes are left on the dinner table, many people will get a second serving of food which may even double the recommended portions. A good way to get used to eating balanced portions is to bring just one plate with a portion-controlled meal into the dining room, and store the extra food in the refrigerator instead of placing plates of food on the table. Often, if people wait at least 10 minutes after eating a balanced meal, their bodies will have time to register that they are full enough and portion control will work to avoid overeating.
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