Central Coast Home & Lifestyle Magazine Summer 2016

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Home&Lifestyle Magazine | Summer 2016 13
Combating Portion
Distortion
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The amount of food we eat and drink plays
an important role in our daily energy
balance as well as our overall health. Not
only has the quality of our diet changed over
the years with more processed foods higher
in salt, sugar, saturated fat and chemical
additives sneaking in, but so too has the
quantity.
Our humble dinner plate has gradually been
increasing in size over the past two decades,
and little by little we are mindlessly sneaking
in extra mouthfuls at each meal.
Trying to overcome all your bad eating
habits at once is very difficult and will most
likely result in failure. In fact many ‘diets’
people follow in an attempt to get ‘healthy’
and lose weight usually provide short-term
results but are difficult to sustain with most
people regaining weight within one to five
years, often with negative psychological
consequences. However, choosing nutritious
and mindful portion sizes of key food groups
can be an effective tool in fighting ‘portion
distortion’ and improving your overall health.
Here are our top tips to overcoming portion
distortion:
1. Reduce the size of your plates and bowls
Research has consistently shown that we
tend to overeat when using bigger plates
and bowls compared to smaller ones. This is
because we have a tendency to keep filling up
our plates until they look ‘full’ and therefore
overestimate how much we need
2. Eat mindfully
Mindful eating is the opposite of mindless
eating and has been shown to reduce
overeating and binge eating. Mindful eating
techniques include eating small amounts of
food every three hours, checking in with your
hunger levels prior to eating, being present
and away from distractions whilst eating,
eating slowly and paying attention to the meal
in front of you, and stopping eating before you
are full.
3. Be portion savvy
Our perception of an ideal serving size of
food tends to become skewed over time and
when we get used to seeing a certain amount
of food on our plate, we feel we need to eat it
all to be satisfied. Using a measuring cup or
spoon to serve rice and pasta or portions of
cookedmeat may be a good idea to recalibrate
your portion sizes.
4. Take your time
Eating fast or on the run often leads to
overeating as we lose touch of our hunger and
fullness signals. Allow yourself at least 20-30
minutes to eat a meal away from distractions
such as the TV or driving the car. Research
shows that eating quickly is associated with
weight and total daily energy (calorie) intake.
5. Practice healthy plate portions
Before you dish up your plate, try and
visualize what a balanced plate looks like (see
below). Aim to make half of your main meal
with either vegetables or salad, followed by a
learn serve of protein, a serve of slow burning
carbohydrates and a hint of fat. This will help
with nutrient balance and portion control.
Together these food groups will leave you
feeling satisfied.
6. Check in with your hunger levels
It may take between 10-30 minutes for
your stomach to tell your brain that it has had
enough food. Sit and wait before you decide
to dig in for seconds. Sharing a meal whilst
socialising with friends or family is a great
way to slow down the eating process and
help us recognize our satiety signals.
Main meals are all about maximizing
nutrition with the right balance of foods whilst
staying within our energy(calorie) budget.
Work on getting the balance right by aiming
for these proportions:
Veggies & Salad (1 cup salad or 1/2 cup
veggies = 1 serve)
Aim for at least 5 serves of non-starchy
vegetables and/or salad per day. This group
should make up approximately 50% or more
of your meal. Plant foods are nutrient dense-
meaning they’re packed full of vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants and fibre (filling power)
and contain very few calories. Choose a
variety of textures and colours and aim to
retain their nutrient content by consuming
them raw, steamed or lightly stir-fried.
Lean Protein (100g meat/chicken/ fish/tofu,
2 eggs, 1 cup legumes = 1 serve)
Adults should aim for around 2 1 /2- 3 serves
of lean protein per day to help with satiety
and fullness. A serving of any meat, chicken
or fish should be about 120g (raw) and around
the width and thickness of your palm . Quality
proteins to include in your diet include lean
chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, pork, kangaroo
and fish. For vegetarians a serve would
equate to 100g of tofu, two eggs or a cup of
lentils and pulses.
Carbohydrates (1-2 slices bread, 1 /2 to 1 cup
cooked = 1 serve)
Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates
are not fattening but they do provide the brain
with a steady supply of fuel, help keep us
full between meals, provide fibre for optimal
gut health and provide muscles with energy
during exercise. It is however important to
eat them in amounts suited to your energy
requirement. Generally, 1 /2 -1 cup of cooked,
starchy carbohydrates, grains or legumes is
all you need to fill your quarter-plate portion.
Try wholegrain and low to medium GI
varieties which are minimally processed and
therefore retain their nutrient content. These
include brown, basmati or doongara rice,
quinoa, cous cous, sweet potato, corn, millet,
wheat, amaranth, whole rolled oats, barley,
buckwheat and wholegrain breads, pastas
and cereals.
Practice Details
Ground Level, Riverside Tower, 69 Central
Coast Highway West Gosford 2250
P: 43239200
E:
W:
Nicole Saliba (Accredited Practicing Dietitian & Sports
Nutritionist) BHlthSc (Nutrition & Dietetics)
Nicole Saliba is a passionate dietitian and
nutritionist who runs a successful private practice
called Eatsense. She is a strong advocate against
dieting and believes eating should be an enjoyable
experience that optimises health and provides
nourishment. She does not believe in fad diets, quick
fixes or a ‘one size fits all’ approach.