Portion Control Diningware?

stockholmhasago
stockholmhasago Posts: 67
in Food and Nutrition
So I sometimes struggle with my portion control, especially when making a skillet type dinner, and I was debating getting portion control dining ware until I can learn it much better.

I'm just not sure if it's a bad idea, because I don't want to become dependent on a plate or a bowl. Anyone ever used these? Yay or nay?

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2009/03/03/portion-plates-and-bowls/

Replies

  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Get a food scale. Believe me. It will change your life.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Gah. $40 for glorified measuring cups? Go to the dollar store. Also get a food scale like valerie said.
  • Latanya51
    Latanya51 Posts: 29 Member
    So I sometimes struggle with my portion control, especially when making a skillet type dinner, and I was debating getting portion control dining ware until I can learn it much better.

    I'm just not sure if it's a bad idea, because I don't want to become dependent on a plate or a bowl. Anyone ever used these? Yay or nay?

    http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2009/03/03/portion-plates-and-bowls/

    I agree with valerie....get a scale instead. I got one and it has made a difference. I even got a few of those little dixie 2oz cups that you see in restaurants ect. You know the ones they put your salad dressing when you take it to go...I just scoop up a few each time I go the restaurant across from where I work. Plus I already had a some bowls in 4,6 & 12 oz sizes so I use those too.
    But any hoo, save some $$$ and get the scale instead. :)
  • RealWomenLovePitbulls
    RealWomenLovePitbulls Posts: 729 Member
    here's a helpful way, you can print this out and hang it on ur fridge

    1.Protein: meat, soy, protein powder, or cottage cheese

    portions: lean meats should be the size of your open palm, including up to your first knuckle

    dark meats or fatty meats should just be the size of your palm, not inlcuding the knuckle

    either one should be about the same width as your palm as well

    if you choose cottage cheese as your protein, it should be about the size of your closed fist

    2. fast carb is gonna be bread, pasta, oats, rice, potatoes, corn, winter squash, melons, high sugar fruits (cherries, grapes, pinapples) apples, bananas, oranges, peach, pear, plums, kiwi - your serving should be about the size of your fist, except for rice, corn, and sweets, which would be about half that.

    3, slow carbs include - veggies, leafy greens, tomatoes, berries, lemons, limes, beans, peas, and cooked greens - your serving should be about the size of your fist, except for beans and peas, which should be about half.

    make sure for your meal you eat one thing from each category

    try to keep your fats (butter and oil) down to about a tablespoon per meal!!


    OR
    look at the portion plates that have a comparison pic (deck of cards for the meat etc.) and maybe put together a little poster for yourself to remind you of your portion sizes
  • lois4468
    lois4468 Posts: 166 Member
    Ifyou are near a Costco business you can buy the little cups too. They are really cheap. I did and use ethem to take diet dressing with me, filled half full is about 1/4 cup of trail mix, plus anything else you need. Really quite handy. Food Scale is a must!
  • Alisi1234
    Alisi1234 Posts: 131 Member
    YEAH TO THE FOOD SCALE!!!
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    I saw some portion control plates that I thought were really cool...they even sectioned out how much of each plate should be meat, veggie/fruit, and grain.

    Problem is they were like $20 per plate....maybe more I can't remember exactly.
  • ChrissyLpwe
    ChrissyLpwe Posts: 22 Member
    Dollar store get l three sets of measuring cups and spoons to have backups when the other are dirty. I have the cheapest scale I could find. Weigh and measure everything!
  • angeltg
    angeltg Posts: 97 Member
    Food scale :)
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    Weigh food before you cook it (more accurate calorie log too because of water lost during cooking can give a false value). It means you'll waste less too and have better grasp of portion control. You'll learn to know what it looks like BEFORE you plate up and BEFORE you cook it!
  • SenshiV
    SenshiV Posts: 131 Member
    Get a food scale. Believe me. It will change your life.

    Agree. Really, you learn how much is about how many cals and stuff, when you get it, use this site if you don't know how much to add to some food: http://nutritiondata.self.com/

    Another think i could *kitten* and is what I tell my wife. Don;t do too much so we feel like eating more than we want.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    I got my food scale on Ebay brand new for 7.95 and I use it every single day many times a day. It has paid for itself a hundred-fold.
  • karylee44
    karylee44 Posts: 892
    i use a measureing cup.. and i always use a smaller plate.. just to make sure it looks like alot of food.. im going to get a food scale when i get some cash....
  • supertracylynn
    supertracylynn Posts: 1,338 Member
    I keep thinking, "Please have a photo, please have a photo" as the page loaded. I was disappointed. I am also disappointed in the product you're asking about. I find that using salad plates and kid-sized bowls help... I also know that my food scale works wonders.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Hey if you think it will work for you, go for it! I'm all for whatever works.

    For me, I had to start using measuring cups and a scale. It was a real eye opener. I had been pouring coffee creamer and realized I was pouring a LOT more into the cup after I started using a tablespoon to measure. That makes a big dif. in your daily calories. I've been weighing and measuring since Jan. and it's getting easier to estimate my portion size but sometimes I'm still wayyy off. Even as far as not measuring out enough of something I want to log, especially meat. For instance, tonight we had homemade roasted turkey and I guessed by the size of it, it had to be about 4oz. It ended up being 2.3 and I thought I had been doing a good job of judging sizes. I was happy to add more protein to my meal!
  • muwchck
    muwchck Posts: 261 Member
    Using smaller plates helps, because you see the plate is empty and your mind says you are full. But your best bet is to go for the food scale.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Also, on my food scale, you can change out your units from grams to ounces to pounds.

    When I would eat my cereal and use a measuring cup, I was always like "Hmm, that's how much I get to eat?" With the food scale, I was surprised because it seemed like I was eating double what I was allowed! Or when I would measure my veggies in a cup, I'm like "Really? That ONE piece of broccoli is what I get?" So sad. I'm telling you, GO FOR THE SCALE!
  • BigBrewski
    BigBrewski Posts: 922 Member
    Dollar store get l three sets of measuring cups and spoons to have backups when the other are dirty. I have the cheapest scale I could find. Weigh and measure everything!

    This is how I do it as well. Just picked up another set of measuring cups and spoons this weekend. I measure everything and yes I have a scale too.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    I have a digital scale and my favorite bamboo bowl that measures exactly 1 cup.

    Whenever my boyfriend makes a stir-fry or stew, he knows I want it served in my bamboo bowl!

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