How to Practice Portion Control During the Holiday Meals

To manage your diet during the holidays or otherwise make it easy by using portion control. With portion control, you can generally get away with eating a wider variety of food without the high hit to your calorie limits.

The following are five tips to practice better portion control during the holidays:

• Use Smaller Plates – Did you know that plates are made about 30 percent larger today than in your grandmother’s time? When you think about that fact, it makes sense that everyone is much fatter today than they were back in the day. So giving everyone slightly smaller plates, including yourself, will help everyone eat less without even trying.

• Space Out Your Food – You don’t have to eat all the food in one day. If you list the types of food you enjoy during the holidays, you can stretch out the times when you have it. For example, there is no reason you can’t have green bean casserole with your everyday meal during the month of November instead of waiting to have it all on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas.

• Follow Serving Sizes – If you want to try something, always look to find out what a real serving size is. For example, you may be shocked to find out that a serving of fruit cake is really just a one-ounce slice that does not have as large a caloric punch as the normal-sized slices most people eat.

• Fill Up Half Your Plate with Veggies First – Whatever is being offered at the dinners you attend, always fill your plate with veggies first. Choose veggies that don’t have tons of additives in them. Eat at least one spoon of every veggie offered before adding the other more fattening options.

• Satisfaction Is Key; Not Stuffed – remember that you want to avoid feeling stuffed like any other day when you eat. Even though there is a stereotype of everyone passing out after eating too much food during the holidays, you don’t need to do that. It’s not good for you or your family. Instead, focus on being together and enjoying the time instead of being too full to do anything else.

Try being mindful as you are eating the food you pick. Does it taste as good as you hoped? If not, don’t eat anymore of it. You don’t have to announce it but save all your calories for the food that tastes the best and feels the best to eat. There are always plenty of eating opportunities, so passing up one will not mean you miss out forever.