Portions in proportion

Portion size is a major contributor to unwanted weight gain. Learn how much to put on your plate and watch the kilos melt.

Supersized burgers, all-you-can-eat, deep-pan pizzas, bottomless cooldrink and chips with every burger… it’s no wonder we’re a fat nation. And as restaurants increase their portion sizes and our eyes, palates and stomachs get used to these bigger meals, so we recreate them in our own homes. Plates are heaped with carbohydrates, one lamb chop has suddenly become two.

More than 60 percent of South African women and 30 percent of men are overweight. To avoid becoming part of that statistic, we’ve asked the experts at the Nutrition Information Centre at Stellenbosch University, the Cancer Association of South Africa and dietitians Liesbet Delport and Gabi Steenkamp to help us choose healthier portions for happier bodies.

Every time you dish up supper, divide your plate like this:

1 portion protein = ¼ of your plate (meat, fish, soya or dairy)
choose one of the following:
– 30g meat, fish or soya (the size of your palm). If you choose meat, it should be no more than the thickness of your finger
– one egg
– 30g/per day low fat and medium fat hard cheese
– ¼ cup low-fat/fat-free cottage cheese
– 1 cup low-fat/fat-free milk

1 low-GI carbohydrate (starch) = ¼ of your plate (One portion is the size of your fist)
Choose one of the following:
- rice, durum wheat pasta, baby potatoes, sweet potato, mealies, butternut, bran cereal, low GI muesli, rolled oats, low GI bread, seed loaf bread, rye break, wholewheat crackers

½ plate = vegetables, fruit and salads
Fill the remainder of your plate with fruit, veggies and salads, either eaten raw, roasted or steamed.

1 portion fats/oils = 1tsp or 1T

Add only one fat to the meal.Choose from:
- 1 tsp vegetable oil (olive or Canola)
- 2 tsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp light mayonnaise/low oil salad dressing
- ¼ avocado
- 5 large olives
- 10 mixed nuts, raw

Your plate should roughly look look like this:

Portion sizes made easy

Starch – the amount of cooked starch you can hold in one hand while running, without the food falling from your hand
Cereal – 125ml (1/2 cup)
Bread – one portion is equal to a machine-cut slice or three low-GI crackers

Vegetables – as much, cooked, as you can hold in your hand while running without it falling from you hand
Cheese – a portion equals the size of a matchbox
Dairy – 100ml low-fat or fat-free yoghurt, or 250ml low-fat or fat-free milk
[Source: Liesbet Delport and Gabi Steenkamp]

Good to know

• drink a glass of water every time you eat
• fruit juices have a higher GI than fresh fruit so watch your consumption. 125ml (1/2 cup) is regarded as a portion
• dried fruit is a very concentrated form of carbohydrate. Four dried apricot halves = two fresh apricots or one fruit portion
• alcohol adds to your kilojoule intake. One unit is = to 125ml dry wine, 340ml can lite beer, 113ml (1/3 bottle) spirit cooler, 25ml (one tot) spirits