Training & Nutrition - Portion control & Presentation

I'm not sure if you're like me, but I really like to cook however I have a real hard time with portion control when it comes to starches/carbs. So what I've started doing in the last few weeks has really helped with controlling the portions plus it makes the presentation top notch.

Measuring Cups. yup, pretty simple.

Last night I made roasted boneless skinless chicken breasts over a bed of quinoa with fresh tomatoes and basil. In the past I would load a couple of serving spoons of quinoa onto a plate and put the chicken breast on top and hey presto, dinner is served. Instead of doing that, I took my 1/2C measuring cup, lightly sprayed it with olive oil, spooned the quinoa into the cup, packed it down a little and plopped it on the plate. Sliced up the chicken breast, put on top of the nicely formed mold, dressed it with some fresh basil leaves and lightly drizzled with olive oil. The presentation was restaurant quality and the quantity was with my daily caloric budget so it's a win win situation.

I've done this with rice, mashed potatoes and even pasta, it works like a charm plus it makes it look like you're a superstar in the kitchen.

Have fun and happy cooking.

PS. don't forget to lightly oil your measuring cups.

measuring cups, spoons, and a cheap scale are a must for understanding calorie counting and learning proper portions. most Americans have no idea how much, or little, a serving of pasta should be. later.

Yes, if you start measuring & weighing stuff you will be amazed at how small most servings actually are...

measuring cups, spoons, and a cheap scale are a must for understanding calorie counting and learning proper portions. most americans have no idea how much or little a serving of pasta should be. later.

Most North Americans in general have NO idea how much or little a serving of anything is. And packaged foods don't help matters any by making servings into really odd sizes.

Take, for example, your 591 ml coke bottle. The information on the side of the bottle is for 250 ml. Do you know anyone who drinks 250 mls out of a 591 ml bottle??? I certainly don't! A 591 ml bottle is, to me, a single serving size. Now I don't have a coke bottle in front of me as I rarely drink it, but if I recall correctly, the calorie content is some odd number per 250 ml, like 186 calories, or something.

So now a person has got to do a complicated math problem to figure out exactly how many calories is in the bottle of coke ... and it works out to something quite high. Great for the middle of a century ... not so great for an afternoon beverage while sitting at your desk. And I've heard a number of people pick up a bottle of coke and say, "Oh, this has 186 calories (or whatever the number on the side is), without ever looking to see that it is 186 calories per 250 mls, not per the whole bottle.

And coke is not the only culprit ... lots of packaged foods fool people this way.

measuring cups, spoons, and a cheap scale are a must for understanding calorie counting and learning proper portions. Most americans have no idea how much or little a serving of pasta should be. Later.

+1

Most North Americans in general have NO idea how much or little a serving of anything is. And packaged foods don't help matters any by making servings into really odd sizes.

Take, for example, your 591 ml coke bottle. The information on the side of the bottle is for 250 ml. Do you know anyone who drinks 250 mls out of a 591 ml bottle??? I certainly don't! A 591 ml bottle is, to me, a single serving size. Now I don't have a coke bottle in front of me as I rarely drink it, but if I recall correctly, the calorie content is some odd number per 250 ml, like 186 calories, or something.

So now a person has got to do a complicated math problem to figure out exactly how many calories is in the bottle of coke ... and it works out to something quite high. Great for the middle of a century ... not so great for an afternoon beverage while sitting at your desk. And I've heard a number of people pick up a bottle of coke and say, "Oh, this has 186 calories (or whatever the number on the side is), without ever looking to see that it is 186 calories per 250 mls, not per the whole bottle.

And coke is not the only culprit ... lots of packaged foods fool people this way.

+1

Drinks are 20 fl. oz. (591mL for the others in the world) and the bottle says that a serving is 8 fl. oz's (235mL). So that one bottle you will drink is 2.5 servings. Everyone I know drinks a whole bottle. Same thing with chips/pretzels. You think you are buying a small single serving bag, but the back says it is probably 2 - 3 servings.

P.S. Machka, not sure how they label it in Canada but in the U.S. they label the drinks per serving and per bottle to make it easier.

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/31/2007/10/kittycoke.jpg

I'm not sure if you're like me, but I really like to cook however I have a real hard time with portion control when it comes to starches/carbs. So what I've started doing in the last few weeks has really helped with controlling the portions plus it makes the presentation top notch.

Measuring Cups. yup, pretty simple.

Last night I made roasted boneless skinless chicken breasts over a bed of quinoa with fresh tomatoes and basil. In the past I would load a couple of serving spoons of quinoa onto a plate and put the chicken breast on top and hey presto, dinner is served. Instead of doing that, I took my 1/2C measuring cup, lightly sprayed it with olive oil, spooned the quinoa into the cup, packed it down a little and plopped it on the plate. Sliced up the chicken breast, put on top of the nicely formed mold, dressed it with some fresh basil leaves and lightly drizzled with olive oil. The presentation was restaurant quality and the quantity was with my daily caloric budget so it's a win win situation.

I've done this with rice, mashed potatoes and even pasta, it works like a charm plus it makes it look like you're a superstar in the kitchen.

Have fun and happy cooking.

PS. don't forget to lightly oil your measuring cups.

+1. That is the perfect method. Its the only way i have been able to control my food intake.

+1

Drinks are 20 fl. oz. (591mL for the others in the world) and the bottle says that a serving is 8 fl. oz's (235mL). So that one bottle you will drink is 2.5 servings. Everyone I know drinks a whole bottle. Same thing with chips/pretzels. You think you are buying a small single serving bag, but the back says it is probably 2 - 3 servings.

P.S. Machka, not sure how they label it in Canada but in the U.S. they label the drinks per serving and per bottle to make it easier.

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/31/2007/10/kittycoke.jpg

liquid calories are a killer for anyone trying to control their diet, drop weight, and/or count calories. most people dont give a second thought to drinking calories. these calories are so empty that it aint funny. later.

liquid calories are a killer for anyone trying to control their diet, drop weight, and/or count calories. most people dont give a second thought to drinking calories. these calories are so empty that it aint funny. later.

True- When im trying to lose weight, I try to only drink tea and water. Its a lot better
than when Id drink Dr Pepper all day.

True- When im trying to lose weight, I try to only drink tea and water. Its a lot better
than when Id drink Dr Pepper all day.

If you never drink Dr. Pepper and similiar swill, you wouldn't bounce between gaining weight and having to try to lose ...

If you never drink Dr. Pepper and similiar swill, you wouldn't bounce between gaining weight and having to try to lose ...

Aw come on- its not nice to call the nectar of the gods 'swill'. ;)

Most North Americans in general have NO idea how much or little a serving of anything is. And packaged foods don't help matters any by making servings into really odd sizes.

Take, for example, your 591 ml coke bottle. The information on the side of the bottle is for 250 ml. Do you know anyone who drinks 250 mls out of a 591 ml bottle??? I certainly don't! A 591 ml bottle is, to me, a single serving size. Now I don't have a coke bottle in front of me as I rarely drink it, but if I recall correctly, the calorie content is some odd number per 250 ml, like 186 calories, or something.

So now a person has got to do a complicated math problem to figure out exactly how many calories is in the bottle of coke ... and it works out to something quite high. Great for the middle of a century ... not so great for an afternoon beverage while sitting at your desk. And I've heard a number of people pick up a bottle of coke and say, "Oh, this has 186 calories (or whatever the number on the side is), without ever looking to see that it is 186 calories per 250 mls, not per the whole bottle.

And coke is not the only culprit ... lots of packaged foods fool people this way.

I think this has been corrected, as the nutritional contents on Sprite bottles have the 'traditional' 8 oz serving information and the full bottle information. It's amazing how much sugar is contained in a bottle of Sprite. I've since bought a 20 oz bottle of Sprite and drink it over two days.

Honestly, when you switch to juices, tea or water, after a while, soda begins to taste rather bland. At least it has for me.

I think this has been corrected, as the nutritional contents on Sprite bottles have the 'traditional' 8 oz serving information and the full bottle information. It's amazing how much sugar is contained in a bottle of Sprite. I've since bought a 20 oz bottle of Sprite and drink it over two days.

Some things show per container & serving, but most (not just soda, foods in general) still only show per serving.

I still have issues with the serving size of pasta. I suppose I should cook a single serving and see how much it makes.

I still have issues with the serving size of pasta. I suppose I should cook a single serving and see how much it makes.

Not much, it's like 10 rotinis.

In spaghetti or other noodles I am a bit more puzzled. They say something like 2 oz pre cooked is the serving size and that makes roughly 1 cup. Is it one cup packed or loose or ? It seems that measuring portions for noodles would be better using the weight after being cooked instead of cups. Anyhow, I eyeball it. My guess is that I am completely wrong.

In spaghetti or other noodles I am a bit more puzzled. They say something like 2 oz pre cooked is the serving size and that makes roughly 1 cup. Is it one cup packed or loose or ? It seems that measuring portions for noodles would be better using the weight after being cooked instead of cups. Anyhow, I eyeball it. My guess is that I am completely wrong.

You have to go by weight dry. Calories don't care how much empty space there is in the measuring cup.

Honestly, when you switch to juices, tea or water, after a while, soda begins to taste rather bland. At least it has for me.

Same here -- at best bland and artificial, at worst disgustingly sweet.

In spaghetti or other noodles I am a bit more puzzled. They say something like 2 oz pre cooked is the serving size and that makes roughly 1 cup. Is it one cup packed or loose or ? It seems that measuring portions for noodles would be better using the weight after being cooked instead of cups. Anyhow, I eyeball it. My guess is that I am completely wrong.

I would recommend investing in some food scales. You can get good ones for around 40 bucks from Bath and Beyond. Measure before cooking. For most stuff the whole "by cup" measurement is very inaccurate, borderline on useless.

I would recommend investing in some food scales. You can get good ones for around 40 bucks from Bath and Beyond. Measure before cooking. For most stuff the whole "by cup" measurement is very inaccurate, borderline on useless.

You can also buy the "ultimate" scale for small bike parts, and be a weight weenie for your gut and bike at the same time. But seriously, my favorite is a Salter glass-top scale, that looks really nice in the kitchen.

I've gotten to the point where I wait till I'm kinda hungry, stop when I've hit the point where I'm no longer hungry, and then toss the rest in the fridge.

Works when you don't control portions.

P.S. Machka, not sure how they label it in Canada but in the U.S. they label the drinks per serving and per bottle to make it easier.



Here, it's just per serving, not per bottle. I wish they would start labelling per bottle. That would make much more sense to me because one of those bottles (591 ml/ 20 oz) is actually one realistic serving.

Candy is another one. You know those gummy worms and gummy bears? A coworker brought in a large container of them, and passed them around. I'm not really fond of them, but I had one or two, and then looked at the label on the lid. The container contained a little over 1600 calories ... and throughout the day two of my coworkers put away the entire container, less the half dozen or so some of the rest of us had. I calculated that they each consumed about 750-800 in candy that day. But the candies are so small, and were eaten one or two at a time, so it wouldn't have seemed like they were that many calories.


And about calories in liquid ... there was a time, many years ago, when I worked in a donut shop. I gained weight there (go figure!) so, when I had to get a new uniform in a size larger, I decided it was time to lose some weight. I made one change to my diet ... I quit drinking my calories. No more sugared pop, no more sugar in my coffee and tea, no more fountain lemonade, etc. I still drank as much liquid as I was, it was just calorie-free. And I lost 5 lbs in a week, and kept it off.

Here's what I often use now ... especially at work. I'm not a big fan of plain water, so adding a bit of flavor helps me drink more, without the extra calories:
http://www.nestle.ca/en/products/brands/Nestea/Lemon_GreenTea.htm?subGroup=Beverages

I would recommend investing in some food scales. You can get good ones for around 40 bucks from Bath and Beyond. Measure before cooking. For most stuff the whole "by cup" measurement is very inaccurate, borderline on useless.

I have been meaning to do just that. Apparently, my love of pasta is finally pushing me towards getting one. The salter scale umd mentioned looks spiffy.

I have been meaning to do just that. Apparently, my love of pasta is finally pushing me towards getting one. The salter scale umd mentioned looks spiffy.

This is mine

https://www.oldwillknottscales.com/productimages/SALT1001-400.jpg

It does 2 gram increments. It seems pretty good but is not always perfectly consistent.

This is the bike gram scale

http://www.sicklines.com/review/ultimate/ultimate-tabletop1.jpg

It does single gram increments and is much more consistent, but doesn't look as nice in a kitchen :p

I've got a rather expensive kitchen scale and I use it nearly every day from oatmeal to pasta to meat. It is amazing how useful it is once you buid the habit of using it.

As a T1 diabetic my control is fare better when I can accurately count grams of carbs and the only way to do this is by weighing food. Volume lies. I never would have bought the scale otherwise.

Only problem with scales is if you live with roommates. My last one and current one thing I am crazy and have OCD. :rolleyes:

Perfect example: cereal.

I freaking love cereal. Unless someone proves it causes cancer or something, I won't be giving it up. However, I finally measured how much one cup of cereal really is.

It's not a hell of a lot. In fact, you really can't have breakfast on one cup of cereal, at least without eating other stuff.

Learning good portion control is a huge step in weight management.

It's not a hell of a lot. In fact, you really can't have breakfast on one cup of cereal, at least without eating other stuff.

See this where I would fail miserably. Seeing that small little bowl/serving of cereal would send me right to the fridge or pantry to "top up". I don't have the will power to control my food cravings. My only answer throughout the years has been to increase physical activity to the point where I can eat whetever I want. :o

In spaghetti or other noodles I am a bit more puzzled. They say something like 2 oz pre cooked is the serving size and that makes roughly 1 cup. Is it one cup packed or loose or ? It seems that measuring portions for noodles would be better using the weight after being cooked instead of cups. Anyhow, I eyeball it. My guess is that I am completely wrong.

My mom taught me that when cooking spaghetti (or linguine, fettuccine etc..) a bundle of noodles with a cross-section the size of a quarter is a single serving. Works for me.