Portion Sizes
So, now you have an idea
of WHAT food you should be eating, the next step is HOW MUCH? A pitfall of many, knowing what a portion of
the various dietary components should be is vital, whether you are trying to
lose weight, build lean muscle mass or even maintain a healthy weight. Here is a brief guide to the portion sizes of
the 3 food groups...
Carbohydrates
This refers to the
complex carbohydrates which are the ones you will need to keep an eye on
- three
tablespoons of breakfast cereal/40g porridge oats
- one
large slice of bread (wholegrain)
- one
small baked potato (NB - sweet potatoes are better than white, and
delicious!)
- 4/5
small boiled potatoes
- 4
tablespoons of boiled pasta (wholewheat)
- 3
tablespoons of boiled rice (brown)
Protein
A portion of protein
(lean meat) should be around 3oz (around
20g protein) which is about the size of a deck of playing cards, (white fish is 50% more) A few examples of a
portion would be a medium chicken breast, 1 tin of tuna/salmon/mackerel, half a
tub of cottage cheese (around 150g), 2 whole eggs and 1 white.
Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit will certainly
have its place, but make vegetables your friend! You will want no more than 2/3 portions of
fruit a day, but you can pretty much go for unlimited vegetables!
Fruit – 1 banana, 1 large apple, 1 pear, 1 large orange, 2 satsuma’s, 3 plums,
3 tablespoons of blueberries/raspberries/blackcurrants, 10 strawberries
Vegetables – A nice hearty choice for dinner, but also good at lunch, choose 2/3
of the following – broccoli or cauliflower (5 large florets for each), spinach,
kale or green beans (3 heaped cooked tablespoons), aubergine (1/3rd),
mushrooms (4/5) – pretty much anything goes, but aim for the focus to be dark
green vegetables, and some white (hence the mushrooms and aubergine – this does
not include potatoes!)
A nice alternative to
having a side of vegetables is a stir fry – half of one of the ready made bags
from the supermarket is ideal, and so quick and easy. Or make your own, include beansprouts,
mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, peppers, and anything dark green! Instead of using a sauce to flavour the stir
fry, add ginger, garlic, chilli flakes and lemon or lime juice!
Salad - a good light and minimal effort choice at lunch times, especially if
you eat on the go! Choose 2/3 of the following – spinach (3 cooked
tablespoons), or any dark green leaves, beetroot (1 large), tomatoes (2 medium,
or 8-10 cherry), peppers (1/2 a pepper), carrots (1 large), green beans (3
heaped tablespoons), celery (2 stalks), mushrooms (5 large) ) Dress salads with dressing of ½ a lemon or
balsamic vinegar and 1tbs of good olive oil, (you can add a herb to it too if
you fancy!)– Try and make your lunches bright and colourful with red, orange
and purple vegetables!
Snacks – 2 a day, spaced between the main meals
10 almonds or 5 brazil nuts and an
apple/pear/orange
1 boiled egg and carrot sticks (1 carrot), mange
tout (8-10) or 10 olives
½ a tub of cottage cheese and an apple/pear/orange
½ tub cottage cheese with carrot sticks/mange tout
1 small pot of yoghurt or 200g low fat Greek
yoghurt and mixed berries (2/3tablespoons)
Banana and protein shake if you choose to use them
– 1 scoop (ideal mid morning, or after your workout)
Hope ya find this helpful, and any feedback would
be greatly appreciated!
SC xx
No comments:
Post a Comment