With so much information, nutrition claims and nutritional products out there, knowing what and how much to eat can be very confusing.
So to help you out I've put a few tips together regarding portion sizes and the types of foods we should include in our typical meals.
As we all live different lifestyles and are various shapes, sizes and body compositions, the amount of food we need and the types of foods vary, no doubt.
However, the NZ Heart Foundation Guidelines are a simple and effective guide to follow.
Types
- Starchy Veges; e.g. Pumpkin, potato, kumara, yums, beetroot, squash.
- Non-Starchy Veges: (usually rather watery); e.g. spinach, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, parsnip, capsicum, eggplant, zucchini...
- Protein from meat, poultry, seafood, legumes, beans, pulses, soybeans, tofu, trim dairy products (e.g. trim milk, edam cheese), nuts and seeds.
- Good fats to add - olives, avocado, olive oil, olivani, unsalted nuts and seeds. - you will also get good fats from the protein rich food you consume.
- Grains; brown rice, wholemeal breads and pastas.
An alternative is to portion your plate into 1/2 veges, 1/4 protein and 1/4 starchy food. Remember that this way portion size can be influenced by the size of your plate. i.e. the smaller the plate the smaller your portions however using both the plate portions and the hand portion guidelines this isn't an issue.
Below is a perfect example; 1/4 plate or pam size of lean protein (chops), 1/4 plate or fist size of starch (potato), 1/2 plate or 2 cupped hands of veges (carrot, brussel sprouts, broccolini, peas).
Quick tip: Having a variety of vegetables in each meal ensures your getting plenty of nutrients and vitamins. So get creative and go nuts with the veges!
Your body generally knows when you need more food or have had enough, bearing in mind that it take 20mins for the brain to register that you are full - so take your time when eating!
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