{"id":6038,"date":"2021-03-06T19:01:25","date_gmt":"2021-03-06T06:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.myfoodbag.co.nz\/?p=6038"},"modified":"2023-08-09T12:36:19","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T00:36:19","slug":"understanding-portion-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myfoodbag.co.nz\/explore\/2021\/03\/06\/understanding-portion-control\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Portion Control"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When talking about calorie rich foods we often hear \u2018it\u2019s fine, just watch your portion\u2019 – but how do we do this? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"understanding<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to most foods, size, or portion does matter. When it comes to weight loss, being in a calorie deficit is important. Even though we might be eating plenty of healthy foods, if we\u2019re too generous with our portion sizes we might not be achieving that calorie deficit needed to see results. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The difference in calories of 1 extra teaspoon of oil can mean an additional 40 calories.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a balancing act though! <\/strong>Foods we need to be mindful of portion size are foods high in calories, sugar and saturated fats, a.k.a. \u2018sometimes\u2019 foods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One type of food we don\u2019t need to worry about portion size however is non-starchy veggies. These are foods like leafy greens, cucumber, capsicum, cabbage, broccoli. They\u2019re nutrient dense and full of fibre, and provide little calories per serve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing the difference between portion size vs serving size <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The portion of a food you eat might not be the serving size of a food item. A food\u2019s serving size can be determined by either the NZ Ministry of Health<\/a> healthy eating guidelines, or it can be decided by the food manufacturer. For example, the guidelines might suggest \u00bd cup of muesli is a serving size (~60g), whereas a muesli brand might put the serving size as 40g of their muesli. Both of these however, might differ to the amount you fill your bowl up with every morning (a.k.a. your portion size). <\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>Portion sizes should be based on level of activity and daily calorie needs (if you\u2019re quite active your portion may need to be larger)<\/em> as well as what else is being had in the meal e.g. muesli served with yoghurt, fruit and milk. It\u2019s also important to consider how long this meal needs to sustain you, or what type of meal it is (is it just a snack?<\/em>).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bear in mind, the NZ healthy eating guidelines provide food requirements for an \u2018adult\u2019, but don\u2019t take into account your personal daily calorie requirements or activity level, so are simply a guideline for an average adult to follow. We can use these as a baseline guide if we\u2019re ever unsure on a portion size. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know which foods can quickly tip the balance <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there are foods that are full to the brim with nutritional goodness, some of these can also pack a fair amount of calories. This doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t eat these foods (we absolutely should!), it\u2019s just that we only need a smaller portion when we do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suggested portion sizes for higher calorie foods:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n