Recommended serving sizes

[momof1princess]

i do not portion my fruit, because i have low blood sugar anyway and need the boost, but i do weigh and measure my other foods. it helps a LOT. DH even got me a digital food scale (among other things) for Christmas-oh, how i LOVE that man!

 

[minkydog]

I portion out *everything. I was diagnosed Type 2 diabetic back in October which instantly pitched my way of thinking about food. I was truly amazed at some of the things that I thought were healthy(giving me carte blanche to eat a lot of it) that turned out to be very high in carbs. Some days I was eating upwards of 300gm carbs per day!

Now I have strict rules: No one serves my plate but me. And everything on my plate is measured. I keep 1/4cup and 1/2cup measures at hand, plus my measuring spoons and diet scale. No only has it helped me reduce my blood sugar, but I've dropped about 14-lbs. I feel better and look healthier too. So no more eating a pile of corn flakes(virtually no fiber), no more eating flour tortillas(fat and flour--need I say more?) no more huge plate of rice with my Chinese food.No more pototes or bread. Bring on the oranges, grapefruits, and (small) apples. Bring on the whole wheat pasta(which I happen to love), and bring on the healthy proteins(measured, of course!)

The thing that has helped me the most is keeping a food diary. Really keeps me in touch with what i'm *really* consuming. I test my sugars 2hrs after meals and if I'm above 120 i know that something in my last meal has spiked me. I'll need to either limit or eliminate that carb next time.

Recently I jumped off the wagon directly into a Whopper Jr with French Fries. My sugar was almost 200 Won't be doing that again.

 

[redlight]

I've always been a big label reader. I remember when I started dating DH, and had to explain to him that a pint of Ben and Jerry's was NOT a serving size (he was shocked!). Of course, this is when he had a 32 inch waist. 20 years later, he's pushing 38, so good thing I let him know early on!

The suggested serving size for B&J is so small.

 

[MIGrandma]

I think of vegetables other than potatoes that way but not fruit. I eat a lot of fruit but still pay attention to servings as fruit is loaded with sugars. It is natural sugar and not inherently bad in the right amount, but it is still sugar none the less

I agree. Fruit does have a lot of natural sugar, which means calories. The only thing I don't portion-control is fresh vegetables. I can sit at my desk and mindlessly chomp on carrot and celery sticks, red/orange/yellow bell peppers, cauliflower, etc. and not feel at all guilty. Fresh vegetables, with no dipping sauce like Ranch dressing, is very low calorie and so good for you.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

If you are interested in nutritional portions, the do go to mypyramid... those are the science based portions.

Keep in mind that not all fat is bad. Learn the different fats, and realize that some fat is important. For example, using an olive oil based vinaigrette without sugar, on your salad is better for the nutritional value of the salad than using a low/no fat dressing. The compounds of the low/no fat dressing actually block the body's absorption of the nutritional goodness of the salad. So do some research.

The portion sizes on purchased containers (of anything) are advertizing promos first, nutrition last. The value of that information is to tell you how much of the container you can eat for an ingestion of how many calories, grams of fat, protien, carbs, ect. Again, learn to truly read the label. They are not as clear cut as those manufacturers would like you to think.

All food has a recommended (nutritionally based) portion. If you are not counting serving portions of whatever you are eating, you are ingesting an unknown quantity of calories.

Not all fruit is as healthy as is often thought. Some fruits are actually to be avoided if you wish to keep your blood glucose levels stable (important for everyone not just those diagnosed with diabetes).

So, go with the science based portions. Research fats, and label reading. And know your body. What works for another person most likely will NOT work for you. That's why there are so many conflicting messages out there about weight loss, and nutrition. Each person's body responds differently to the intake of nutrients based on the variables that are in place for that individual.

The start of the whole thing is to understand the basic principles, and then learn what works for you.

Good luck to you. Being healthy through eating wisely is a great thing!

 

[OceanAnnie]

If you are interested in nutritional portions, the do go to mypyramid... those are the science based portions.

Keep in mind that not all fat is bad. Learn the different fats, and realize that some fat is important. For example, using an olive oil based vinaigrette without sugar, on your salad is better for the nutritional value of the salad than using a low/no fat dressing. The compounds of the low/no fat dressing actually block the body's absorption of the nutritional goodness of the salad. So do some research.

The portion sizes on purchased containers (of anything) are advertizing promos first, nutrition last. The value of that information is to tell you how much of the container you can eat for an ingestion of how many calories, grams of fat, protien, carbs, ect. Again, learn to truly read the label. They are not as clear cut as those manufacturers would like you to think.

All food has a recommended (nutritionally based) portion. If you are not counting serving portions of whatever you are eating, you are ingesting an unknown quantity of calories.

Not all fruit is as healthy as is often thought. Some fruits are actually to be avoided if you wish to keep your blood glucose levels stable (important for everyone not just those diagnosed with diabetes).

So, go with the science based portions. Research fats, and label reading. And know your body. What works for another person most likely will NOT work for you. That's why there are so many conflicting messages out there about weight loss, and nutrition. Each person's body responds differently to the intake of nutrients based on the variables that are in place for that individual.

The start of the whole thing is to understand the basic principles, and then learn what works for you.

Good luck to you. Being healthy through eating wisely is a great thing!

Thanks! Lots of great suggestions.

Diabetes (among other things) runs in my family. I'm trying to avoid it (and the rest).

Thanks to everyone for their input. Lots of things to think about.