8 Portion Size Mistakes That Are Easily Avoidable

Do you think you are doing a great job of sticking to a healthy diet? Well, you might be. However, there are chances that you might be overeating certain foods. Almost everyone makes a portion size mistake, especially when they are trying to lose weight. However, you may end up filling these foods most of the time.

Portion size mistakes

Here in this list, we have covered the most commonly eaten foods. You might likely be overindulging in at least one of them. Remember, even healthy foods may derail your diet if you overeat them.

Cereal

When was the last time you measured your cereal before adding it into your bowl? Have you ever checked the Nutrition Facts label to determine the correct serving size?

For a few bowls of cereal, one cup is the recommended serving size. But as per American Diabetes Association, they list ¾ cup as a suggested serving. If you pour your cereal right into the bowl, chances are good you are consuming up to two servings. If you refill the bowl, you may be eating 3-4 servings.

Chicken breast

If you think lean protein is healthy, you may be correct, but only if you are not overeating. If you eat a whole chicken breast for dinner, you may be overeating.

The recommended single portion of chicken is 3-4 ounces, about the size of a deck of playing cards. Few people also measure it with the help of the palm of their hand as a guide. Depending on the vendor, few chicken breasts are twice or thrice the recommended serving size. However, the calories that chicken breast contains may end up ruining your diet.

Hamburger

If you count your hamburger patty as one serving of beef, you are most likely underestimating the calories you are consuming. A quarter-pound burger (four ounces) is slightly larger than the recommended serving size of three ounces. However, many burgers, especially those served at the restaurants, are 1/3 to ½ pound.

Coffee creamer

Your morning cup of coffee might be the most unhealthy and fattening thing you consume all day if you add flavored creamer. And you are not off the hook if you are consuming the fat-free version since these come with added sugars to compensate for taste. A single serving of liquid creamer is one tablespoon.

If you drink more than what is recommended, the added sugar to your fat-free creamer starts to add up quite quickly.

Cooking spray

You may skip the butter or oil when cooking meals at home, which is a good thing. But you might be neglecting to account for calories in your cooking spray. If you use PAM to avoid adding calories to your food, you might want to know that a single serving of the spray is ¼ of one second.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, they evaluated the spray and reported that a more typical 6-second spray would have 50 calories and 6 grams of fat.

Bread

If you are packing yourself a healthy lunch of vegetable and lean meat sandwich on whole-grain bread, it is fantastic. You are most likely saving yourself from the belly-bursting calories you will likely experience if you go to the restaurant. However, if you think you are recording the calorie intake correctly, think again. A single serving is only one slice of bread for many bread products.

Fruits

A healthy serving of fresh fruits is an excellent alternative to a high-fat dessert. However, if you count your calories or watch the sugar intake, you need to monitor how much you are eating. For example, grapes, if you sit down with a bowl of grapes, you may want to add one serving of grapes to your wrong food diary.

A single (cup) serving of grapes is just 16 grapes.

Salad dressing

A healthy salad is one good alternative to a high-fat, high-starch meal. However, keep in mind that a salad dressing may end up adding calories. With the help of some estimates, many restaurants’ salads contain over 500 calories, most often due to the fatty dressing.

One salad serving size of salad dressing is equivalent to two tablespoons. If you are ordering a sauce on the side, your waiter will probably bring you much more than that.

Conclusion

One best way to manage your portion control is to measure your foods with the kitchen tools like measuring spoons, cups, or digital scale. You can also measure foods without a scale. You can record the foods accurately with the help of calorie counting apps available online.

If you want more updates like these, stay tuned to the Wise Rx Discount Card blogs!