Portion Size

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In the past 50 years portion sizes have steadily increased in size and have reached record levels. Since the invention of refrigeration, we are now able to package, ship, and store foods much longer than before. This has allowed foods to be more convenient than ever which we have grown accustom to. We are now tempted by the food advertising, marketing, and ease of purchase. Food is more plentiful than ever before, and thus we have been eating more. Check out the below illustration from the CDC on the increase in size of your typical soda, fries, and burger in the past 50+ years.

In order to combat this problem and eat healthy, a portion control system must be in place. Here are some typical food measurements compared to some household items.

I think what is important to remember is what those sizes actually looks like on a plate because those numbers really don’t hold any value by themselves. The plate to the left represents what a deck of cards would equate to for a piece of chicken and also what that would look like a typical plate. Now that we have the sizes down, we need to figure out what to eat just not how much. Although the typical American diet has changed throughout the years, we generally eat a moderate to high amount of carbohydrate. Our love for carbohydrates usually involves too little of the “good” carbs and too much of the “bad” carbs. Those are garbage terms used to describe the overall nutrient density of fibrous carbs (good carbs) and starchy (bad carbs). What makes them different is really the fiber that is contained in them and their resulting effect on blood sugar. Fibrous carbs are typically those carbohydrates with more fiber and end up keeping blood sugar more stable because of the slower digestion. Below is a representation of what a proper macro-nutrient ratio looks like on a plate.

 

 

 

 

To most people that seems like a lot of vegetables, and it is! But they should constitute the majority of our diet; they help keep us alert, focused, and satiated. And you may notice this plate looks quite different from the government food pyramid, which it is.

 

Again vegetables should make up the highest percentage of your meal, along with moderate amounts of protein and starch. Fruit and dairy should only contribute a small amount. This is because fruit has the sugar fructose, that although doesn’t impact blood sugar like glucose, can still be turned into fat if it is not needed. Dairy contains the sugar lactose, which some people have grown intolerant to. Next I broke down the food groups based on their major macro-nutrient contribution. Fruit would be considered a carbohydrate.

 

 

 

Lean Proteins

• Chicken Breast
• Lean Ham
• Egg whites or substitutes
• Top Sirloin Steak
• Top Round Steak
• Turkey Bacon
• Ground Turkey (>85% lean)
• Ground Beef (>85% lean)
• Swordfish
• Orange Roughy
• Haddock
• Salmon
• Trout
• Tuna
• Crab
• Shrimp
• Whey Protein 

Starchy Carbohydrates

• Potatoes
• Yams
• Squash
• Pumpkin
• White Rice
• Brown Rice
• Pastas
• Whole wheat pastas
• Tortillas
• Flour
• Pita Bread
• Whole Wheat Bread
• White Bread
• Whole grains
• Couscous
• Quinoa
• Barley
• Oatmeal  

Fibrous Carbohydrates

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Peppers
• Asparagus
• Cabbage
• Lettuce
• Celery
• Radish
• Onions
• Cucumbers
• Beets
• Brussels sprouts
• Green Beans
• Artichoke
• Kale

Fruits

• Strawberries
• Banana
• Kiwi
• Peaches
• Apples
• Pears
• Mango
• Pineapple

 

Healthy Fats

• Avocado
• Olive oil
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Peanut/Almond Butter
• Flax seed
• Chia seed
• Fish Oils

  

This graph to the right illustrates the spectrum of “healthy” fats vs “bad” fats and their relative beneficial or harmful potential adapted from Dr. Mozaffarian, associate professor of medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. One thing I would like to point out is the fats in red meat, ice cream, etc are harmful to us, but really not all that bad considering they are just under the thin yellow line. It is just my opinion, but I  don’t think you should avoid red meat because of the saturated fat, or stop using butter completely for margarine. I believe a small amount of those foods can be beneficial since they come from real organic sources. The fats from processed goods and that are made in the lab (partially hydrogenated) are the fats to stay away from.

I hope you found these visuals useful and can incorporate some of the knowledge into your lifestyles. Stay healthy my friends!