Portion control

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My problem has always been portion control. One handful of nuts leads to more handfuls and before you know it, the whole bag of whatever it is, is gone. I just bought a bag of whole almonds. I looked at the label and it stated there are 10 servings of 1/4 cup each. I proceeded to measure out 10 quarter cup portions and packaged them up in little saran wrap pouches with a twist tie. You can even use the curley ribbon to tie them up. Then it seems like a very special treat and you are getting the portion it should be.

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  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    Can't have portion control without willpower. :flowerforyou:
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    What did you do with the 11th and 12th 1/4 cup from the package? On a volume measurement I usually get a bit more or less than the "suggested servings".
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    One of the silly things that has helped me is just never eating out of the bag (though I'm not as disciplined as you are). I tend to eat nuts (my favorite snack) 3-6 at a time. I put them in a little tiny bowl and WALK AWAY FROM THE PANTRY.

    Same with chips, crackers, cheese, or anything else. Lately, I find I count out a serving, put it in a bowl, and wind up only finishing half. When things are in a package, it's too easy to keep going.

    I bought a bunch of TINY bowls at the Chinese market. I eat ice cream by the tablespoon full. In a tiny bowl with nuts and yoghurt on top, it looks very filling. There's a whole aesthetic to small portions.
  • FatDar2012
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    Actually, it came out just perfect. I even told my husband that package did not lie.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    That's a great idea! When I started measuring everything that went on my plate, I was shocked and surprised at how tiny a tablespoon of salad dressing actually was. I was probably putting 1/4-1/3 cup of dressing on every salad!

    Another trick I've learned on MFP is to serve myself my (meticulously measured) meal, then put all the food away, before sitting down to eat. That way, I'm not tempted to take a nibble here and there while cleaning up after the meal.

    Also, online recipe sites are great for being able to adjust serving sizes. That way, I don't have a lot of left overs to contend with, either.
  • FatDar2012
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    Great idea. I have a few quarter cup bowls that I put ice cream in. You can only put a quarter cup in a quarter cup. LOL. Thanks for sharing