VISN 8 MOVE and MOVEmployee - Food - Portions

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Portion Control

In this country we have a poor awareness of what a proper serving size is.  The media and the restaurant industry add to our mistaken beliefs about proper servings.  Portions are standardized to help with meal and menu planning.  Often our view of a portion is very different from the standard serving.  We might put a much larger serving of the foods we like on our plate. On the other hand we might put a much smaller serving of foods we don't like on our plate.  OUR servings may be very different from standard servings.

For example, a standard serving of meat (fish, poultry, pork, beef) is 3 ounces.  Most restaurants do not even offer 3 ounce portions. We might even be upset if they did! We might think it would be a waste of money to order a 3 ounce portion!  Many Americans plan their meals around the 'meat' in the meal. Also, many people often have smaller servings of veggies and fruits throughout the day. 

Meat sources can be very high fat. They can also be high calorie depending on choices and cooking methods.  Do you include foods from ALL the food groups in your daily diet? Some people eat a lot from the meat and grains group. People who eat a lot of meats and grains do not always eat enough fruit, vegetables or dairy. A diet that does not contain servings from all FIVE food groups is not balanced. Suggested servings from the dairy, fruit and vegetable group are often missing in the daily diets of many people. A balanced diet is important for good health.

Help picture what your plate should look like!  The size of our portion is often the challenge with weight loss.  For example, pizza is not necessarily a "bad" food.  In fact, it may be valid to say that there are no "good" and no "bad" foods.  We know that some foods are healthier than others. We also know that ALL foods can fit into a healthy diet.  It just depends on HOW OFTEN you have them and HOW MUCH you have at a time. If you have a favorite food that you consider "bad" ask yourselves these questions.  We will use pizza as an example:

• How often do I have this food? If the answer is daily, can I be satisfied with twice per week?  If the answer is weekly, can I be satisfied with once per month? Do I order too much pizza? Do I often have leftovers in the refrigerator for several days? If the answer is yes, can I order just enough pizza for one meal? If I order too much, can I freeze the leftovers and have it next week?
   
• If I usually get sausage, and other high-fat, high-calorie toppings, can I be just as satisfied with mushrooms or pineapple?  If not, then maybe I should limit pizza to once per month to help meet my health goals.
   
• How much pizza do I have in one sitting?    If I have more than two slices at one meal, can I be satisfied with two?  If I regularly have pizza as my entire meal, what other food groups might I be missing in my diet?  Can I have one slice of pizza and a large tossed salad with vegetables instead?

These questions can apply to any food.  Depriving yourself of your favorite food is not practical in the long-term.  Measuring servings and using portion control IS practical.  Eating proper servings from EACH food group is also practical.  Chances are you will be less hungry for less healthy foods if you ADD 2-4 servings of fruit to your daily diet!

The following links are not on the Dept of Veterans Affairs website.

• You can use Food Exchange Lists in menu planning. Use lists with portion control to swap foods within the same groups. This will help you vary your diet. It will also help you stay within your daily calorie goals.

Another resource for learning about correct portion sizes is MyPyramid. My Pyramid is an updated version of the first Food Guide Pyramid. The Food Guide Pyramid was first introduced in 1992.  My Pyramid is part of a food guidance program. It stresses the need for a more personal way of improving diet and lifestyle. The MyPyramid symbol represents the suggested proportion of foods from each group. The MyPyramid symbol also focuses on the importance of making smart food choices every day. Go to the MyPyramid site to find out what YOU should be eating every day.

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