Portion Control: Simple Ways to Eat Less Without Giving Up Your Favorite Foods

While many mysteries surround healthy weight maintenance, health experts are certain that portion size matters. Eating less and eating healthier are the basic tenets of maintaining an ideal body weight for your frame. The bigger question is how do you exercise good portion control?

What Is Portion Control and Why Is It Important?

Portion control is the practice of being intentional about how much you eat at one time. Dietitians and health experts routinely stress the importance of portion control as part of a healthy lifestyle. Being mindful of how much you eat means that no foods are off limits. In short, proper portion control adheres to the motto of everything in moderation.

Unlike traditional dieting, portion control does not necessarily restrict how much food you can eat. It is simply finding the right balance between enjoying the foods you like and what your body needs.

According to Lisa Young, a registered dietitian nutritionist, author of "Finally Full, Finally Slim" and an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University (NYU), “The goal is not restriction, but eating enough to feel satisfied while supporting your health goals." Young notes that it is easier to consume more food than the body needs because portion sizes have increased so much over the years. She also detailed that most people would see the health benefits of being more mindful of portion sizes, particularly for individuals with a goal of managing their weight more efficiently.

It is easy to eat past the point of fullness if you do not have good portion control awareness. Young said that portion control is a "practical and sustainable habit" that people can develop over time. Although there may be a bit of adjustment when trying to implement better portion control habits, sticking with the strategy can yield significant health benefits over time.

For instance, your body will naturally acclimate once it becomes accustomed to the smaller portion sizes. This means that while you may feel hungrier at first, the body will eventually adapt as long as you are still eating to the point of satiation and not fullness.

Portion Control Strategies

There is a learning curve in developing better portion control. However, there are tips that can help make this transition easier.

Start with building your meals around foods that are high in fiber and protein. These two key nutrients will help you to feel full faster and for a longer period of time. Eating a meal rich in fiber and protein will keep you from reaching for that handful of chips an hour later. The cornerstone of any healthy diet includes vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats.

It is also good practice to be mindful of every bite that you put into your mouth. Taking the time to truly savor your food will boost your enjoyment as well as help to send the signal to the brain when you are full. For example, try taking a short pause halfway through a meal to assess if you are still hungry or if you are satiated. You may find that you are already full and can stop eating.

Many people also swear by asking a waitperson to box up half of the meal before it is even put on the table. Or consider sharing meals with a dining partner if you know that the restaurant has big portion sizes.

You can also "trick" your brain into thinking you are eating more by serving your meals on smaller plates. Along that same vein, try filling an entire half of the plate with low-calorie and high-fiber vegetables. Your brain will register that you are eating more even if you are not taking in as many calories.

This goes without saying, but you should also avoid eating food straight from the refrigerator or pantry. Putting a standard portion size into a bowl will help you to avoid mindlessly overeating.

Lastly, dietitians also recommend becoming familiar with what a standard portion really looks like. For example, one serving of fruit is about the size of a tennis ball while a serving of carbohydrates is approximately the size of a deck of cards. It will become easier to instantly recognize healthy portion sizes once you get into the habit of sizing them up before putting them on the plate.

One important factor to note: although portion control is a good idea for most people, individuals with medical conditions or a history of eating disorders should not make any changes to their diet without consulting a trusted healthcare provider.

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