It’s hard to make healthy meals for our families, but ensuring proper meal proportions can be even more challenging. Most of us don’t have time to measure everything out, and it’s easy to fall into the habit of eyeballing portions instead. This can lead to over-or under-eating, which can sabotage our diets and health goals.
This article will discuss tips for ensuring proper meal proportions every time you cook!
Use A Food Scale
One simple way to ensure proper meal proportions is to use a food scale. This will take the guesswork out of portion control and help you ensure everyone in your family gets the right amount of food.
If you are in the market for a food scale, check out manufacturers like AWScales. They offer durable and high-quality kitchen scales of different kinds.
You can also use standard measuring cups and spoons to portion out servings. Another helpful tip is to use smaller plates for meals. This will make it seem like you’re eating more food, even if the portions are smaller. Namely, you can use the “plate method” to control portions.
Visualize Proper Portion Size
The plate method is a way of visualizing proper portion sizes. Imagine that your plate is divided into four sections:
- One-quarter of the plate should be filled with lean protein, such as chicken, fish, tofu, or legumes.
- The other quarter of the plate should be filled with whole grains, such as quinoa, brown rice, or oats.
- Half of the plate should be reserved for vegetables. These can be cooked or raw and include leafy greens, roasted veggies, or a salad.
- The final quarter of the plate is for fruit or dairy. This can include a sliced piece of fruit, oven baked cheese, or fresh Wisconsin cheese curds.
Get Your Family on Board
If you want to ensure proper meal proportions for your family, it’s important to get everyone on board. One way to do this is by cooking meals that everyone will enjoy. This may take some trial and error, but with a little experimentation, you can create healthy and delicious meals that everyone will love.
Another way to get your family on board is by involving them in the cooking process. This can help teach kids about healthy eating habits and proper portion sizes. It can also be a fun activity for the whole family!
So, gather your family and start brainstorming some healthy and delicious meals that everyone will love. With a little planning and effort, you can easily ensure proper meal proportions for your entire family.
Get Creative With Your Meals
Another way to ensure you have proper meal proportions is to get creative with your meals. For example, if you’re making a sandwich, try using whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
You can also add more vegetables to your meals or use leaner cuts of meat. These simple changes can make a big difference in the nutritional value of your meals and help you control portions more easily.
In addition, make sure to include a variety of foods in your meals. This will help you get all the nutrients you need and prevent you from overeating any one type of food. So do not be afraid to experiment with your meals, try healthy new recipes, and get creative in the kitchen!
Plan Your Meals In Advance
Meal planning is a great way to ensure you’re eating the correct amounts of food. When you plan your meals in advance, you can take the time to measure out portions and make sure you’re including a variety of healthy foods.
Meal planning can also help you save money and time since you’ll be less likely to eat out or order in when you have a plan. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of meal planning resources available online.
For example, in case you have a busy week ahead, you can start meal prep on a Sunday. Feel free to put the right proportions in place and then freeze them. This will give you easy access to healthy meals that are already portioned out! Similarly, you can also cook in bulk and then portion out individual servings to eat throughout the week.
Start Proportioning Your Meals
With these tips, you can easily ensure proper meal proportions for your family. By using a food scale, following the plate method, and involving your family in the cooking process, you’ll be able to make healthy and delicious meals that everyone will enjoy.
