{"id":88,"date":"2017-02-09T22:17:41","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T22:17:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/feedyouraura.blog\/?p=88"},"modified":"2017-02-11T07:27:17","modified_gmt":"2017-02-11T07:27:17","slug":"how-to-find-the-perfect-portion-size","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/2017\/02\/09\/how-to-find-the-perfect-portion-size\/","title":{"rendered":"Find the perfect portion size"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity<\/em>\u00a0in 2014, 92% of people eat everything that\u2019s on their plate. Pretty alarming, considering the size of American restaurant meals (which my Parisienne friends refer to as \u201cvulgar\u201d), snacks, and drinks can be double the portion size you actually need.<\/p>\n

While more food makes you feel like you\u2019re getting more value out of what you\u2019re buying, if you\u2019re eating more food than your body needs you\u2019re getting the worse end of the deal. And the larger portions also train your brain to believe you can\u2019t be satisfied without more food.<\/p>\n

So how do you know what portion size you should be eating?<\/p>\n

The Issue with “one-size-fits-all” food<\/h2>\n

You might look to some of the food standards we have today, like serving sizes. But these are created from a national average of what people tend to eat in one sitting.\u00a0Their purpose is more to tell you how many calories you\u2019ll probably be consuming<\/strong>\u00a0rather than how much you\u2019re supposed to eat. And with people thinking they need more to be satisfied, that\u2019s probably not the standard you want to follow.<\/p>\n

The other caveat is that these standards don\u2019t take into consideration that your needs are unique.\u00a0Height, age, hormone fluctuations, weight, activity level, health conditions, what you ate for breakfast, and more affect how much you should eat at your next meal.<\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s considered \u201ctypical\u201d doesn\u2019t take any of that into consideration.<\/p>\n

Balance matters<\/h2>\n

In addition to the overall size of the meal, it\u2019s also important to balance the types of food on your plate. A meal that\u2019s 90% carbs, for instance, will not only cause you to eat more in the short term, but will also have you hungry again in 1-2 hours because your body will process it so quickly.<\/p>\n

You want to balance out carbs with plenty of protein, fiber, and healthy fat<\/strong>, all of which will help fill you up more quickly and keep you satiated for up to 4-6 hours after a meal.<\/p>\n

Become your own “expert”<\/h2>\n

We, humans, are the only species that asks others how much food to eat, and it\u2019s completely unnecessary! Our bodies already know the answer.<\/p>\n

The best way to find the right portion sizes for you is to listen to your body <\/strong>because this wisdom will not only steer you toward better health, it\u2019s also flexible and changes as your needs change.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not as overwhelming as it sounds. In fact, the system to figure this out is pretty simple and doesn\u2019t even require a food scale.<\/p>\n

1. Start with these approximate serving sizes<\/strong>
\nFirst, you need a place to start so you can get moving. Don\u2019t worry about being too exact because you\u2019ll get more accurate in the next step. I\u2019ve included some measurements and approximate sizes so you get a sense of how much you\u2019re eating.
\nProtein<\/strong>\u00a0is crucial for practically every cellular process in your body, helps build muscle, hair, cartilage, and nails, and is a powerful energy source for your body, among many other functions.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Approximate size: one palm<\/li>\n
  • Measurement: 3 – 6 oz depending on your size<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Vegetables<\/strong>\u00a0are your biggest sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Approximate size: 1 heaping handful<\/li>\n
    • Measurement: \u00bd – 1 cup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Note: If you\u2019re going to up the amount you\u2019re eating in any category, this is the best place to start.<\/p>\n

      Healthy fats<\/strong>\u00a0are important for absorbing certain nutrients into your body (like vitamin A, D, E and K) and balancing your hormones. They\u2019re also crucial if you decide to go low-carb to ensure you\u2019re getting enough calories throughout the day.<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Approximate size: 1 – 2 thumbs of oil or pastured ghee, a handful of olives or a fistful of nuts<\/li>\n
      • Measurement: 1 – 2 tablespoons of oil or pastured ghee, \u00bd – 1 cup of olives, \u00bc – \u00bd cup of nuts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Grains<\/strong>\u00a0are optional, but they become more necessary the more active you get because they\u2019re quick sources of energy. If you eat them, it\u2019s important to keep the amount minimal so you don\u2019t spike your blood sugar.<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Approximate size: 1 handful<\/li>\n
        • Measurement: \u00bd – 1 cup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Note: If you\u2019re eating grains and you\u2019re getting full too quickly, you can cut back on healthy fats. But don\u2019t cut them out completely because they\u2019re still necessary!<\/p>\n

          Fruit<\/strong>\u00a0is also optional and can be a great nutritious dessert option, supplying some additional vitamins, minerals, and fiber, especially if you emphasize raspberries and blackberries (which I eat every day!).<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Approximate size: 1 handful or piece<\/li>\n
          • Measurement: \u00bd – 1 cup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            If you\u2019re active or you think you\u2019ll need more food in one sitting, feel free to increase each of these starting points. The next step will make sure you end up in the right place.<\/p>\n

            2. Listen to cues from your body<\/strong>
            \nThe guidelines above don\u2019t take into account anything other than height and build, which means they\u2019ll almost definitely need tweaking.<\/p>\n

            So you should ask yourself this question after each bite:\u00a0Am I satisfied yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

            It can take 10 to 45 minutes for your body to actually register you\u2019re full. Slowing down with this question will help give your body enough time to send signals that you\u2019re satisfied. And it\u2019ll make you more aware of what being done actually feels like for the times you can\u2019t control what\u2019s on your plate.<\/p>\n

            Once you\u2019re satisfied, take note of how much food you have left over, wrap it up for another meal, and adjust accordingly next time. Or if you\u2019ve cleared your plate and you\u2019re still not satisfied, make yourself some more food and increase your portion sizes next time.<\/p>\n

            If you\u2019re used to eating meals quickly, you\u2019ll want to stop at the point where you\u2019re about 80% full<\/strong>\u00a0and ask yourself this question again in 10-15 minutes to give your body some time to catch up and make sure you\u2019re actually full.<\/p>\n

            The last cue to pay attention to is how long you go before you get hungry again<\/strong>. Your goal is to stay satiated at least 4 hours between meals<\/strong>, so if you\u2019re getting hungry after 1-2 hours then you\u2019ll want to check the balance of your meals to make sure you\u2019re getting enough protein, fiber, and fat.<\/p>\n

            3. Adjust as needed<\/strong>
            \nNow that you know what worked last time, adjust accordingly with less or more food if needed. You\u2019ll probably need to do this exercise a few times before you get the right balance.<\/p>\n

            You might also find you\u2019ll eat different amounts with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and that life circumstances will also dictate portion size. That\u2019s normal. Just go back to step 2 and repeat whenever you find you\u2019re starting to get a little too full or hungry after a meal.<\/p>\n

            And remember that this mindfulness and continuous reflection is something that should be ongoing. Because your body and its needs are constantly changing.<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Once you have a good handle on how much you actually need to eat, you can apply those rules anywhere you go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity\u00a0in 2014, 92% of people eat everything that\u2019s on their plate. Pretty alarming, considering…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116852274,"featured_media":93,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[123073],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eat"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/smoothietoppings.jpg?fit=866%2C577&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8nXmu-1q","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/116852274"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167,"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88\/revisions\/167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feedyouraurablog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}