Determining What Constitutes a Healthy Portion Isn’t Easy

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By pro_admin


In contemporary dietitian discourse, an ambiguous unit of measurement, the portion, is often used, which makes us doubt the results of our decisions. After contrasting several opinions, nutritionists and dietitians have finally agreed on what they mean when they mention the portions.

Studies from the University of Illinois, in the United States, revealed that people gain weight not only because of metabolism problems, excesses, or a bad choice of their dishes. One factor that has become decisive lately is the size of what they eat. What’s more, that problem already has a name: portion distortion.


How to choose the right portion size?


– Do not serve the dishes filled. And do not repeat them: it should only be served once. Especially if it is the main course.
– If necessary, so as not to overdo it, you have to incorporate leafy vegetables or broths before each meal.
– At breakfast, a serving of cereals has to be about the size of a fist.
– A tablespoon of margarine or butter can not be larger than the dimensions of a die.
– For lunch and dinner, a portion of meat (about 85 grams), should be about the size of a playing card.


A healthy portion


“Determining what constitutes a healthy portion is not easy today, when some restaurants serve some that are size for two. It may seem like a minor problem, but portion control has a lot to do with healthy weight management,” said Lola O’Rourke, a nutrition consultant and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, presenting the results of the study that led to this conclusion.

The research was based on the follow-up of two groups with 60 men and 60 women. Half of them received plates with controlled portions of food;

Each group followed instructions so that their diets were 55 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein, and 20 percent fat. After eight weeks, the women who had the instruction to control the size of their portions lost about five kilos. And those who selected their own portions, only lost 3 kilos and a half. In men, on the other hand, there were 7 kilos of decrease for the controllers, and 5 for those who cut food as they wanted.

The results were published in the journals Obesity and Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. And they revealed how much portion measurements influence waist thickness.

In the University of Illinois study, meals that were previously organized as portions (healthy, with a measure that fits what the body needs) helped the volunteers maintain their weight better, and even lose a few pounds depending on the diet they were taking.

“Having a sense that this is a problem is a good first step,” they said in the University of Illinois research. There they clarify that the measure of the portions increased “dramatically” in the last 20 years. A typical bread roll used to be about 8 centimetres in diameter; He can now be 15. Its calories went from 140 to more than double: 350. Also, 20 years ago, a cheeseburger had about 333 calories while today it can reach 590.

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