Portion Control: How To Easily Fix Your Servings With Your Plate

Portion Control

      When I started to shed the pounds many women at the gym would ask me what diet was I on. At the time, I was just trying to lose weight and other diets never worked for me. I also did not know much about counting calories or macronutrients. It would make me giggle when I would see their faces when I tell them that I am not on a diet, I just eat healthier and with different portions sizes. Below is an example how would I set up my plate when at home, at a party or at a restaurant.

     I learned to use a medium size plate when serving myself. This helps to avoid eating too much. Half of my plate would have dark greens or a rainbow of different veggies, 1/4 was protein, and 1/4 was carbs. This example can be for breakfast and lunch. Yes, you can eat veggies for breakfast! Adding veggies in the morning will help keep you full until your next meal or snack 3 to 4 hours later.







     For dinner, your plate should look like this one below. You only need your carbs for the first 12 hours that you are awake or in other words, from 6 am - 6 pm. Of course, this depends on when you are able to workout and what your work/caregiver schedule is. Not all of people in society can workout early in the morning. If you usually workout at 9 pm then your dinner will include your carbs. Carbs give you the energy you need to push weight and do cardio.

     Just remember all things take time and be patient! Taking baby steps is the best way because going cold turkey or starving yourself will backfire and make you crave bad carbs resulting in binge eating and weight gain.
  

Candace

Cumin Turkey Patties

Cumin spiced Turkey Patties
Ingredients:

1 lb. of 93/7 fat free natural ground turkey

1 rounded tbsp. of cumin
1 tbsp of olive oil
Directions:

Step 1: Add the cumin to the ground turkey and mix. Shape the ground turkey into 4 oz. balls and flatten them into patties.

Step 3: Place a pan on the burner on Medium/High. Next, add some oil with your olive oil spray bottle.

Step 4: Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Try adding some mustard!

Nutrition Facts Cumin Spiced Turkey Patties Serving Size 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 100.63 Calories from Fat  30
% Daily Value
Total Fat 3.33g	5%
Saturated Fat 0.17g	1%
Trans Fat 0.01g
Cholesterol 30mg	10%
Sodium 43.33mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 18.67g	37%
Vitamin A (IU) 0	0%
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 0mg	0%
Iron 0.96mg	5%

Turkey Bacon and Egg White Sandwich

Bacon and Egg whites sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices of 12 grain bread

4 egg whites

3 slices of turkey bacon

Great way to start for the morning workout!

Nutrition Facts Turkey Bacon and Egg White Sandwich Serving Size 1 each Amount Per Serving Calories 321.16 Calories from Fat  45 % Daily Value Total Fat 5.2g 8%    Saturated Fat 0.45g 2%    Trans Fat 0g   Cholesterol 75mg 25% Sodium 917.52mg  38% Total Carbohydrate 23.5g 8%    Dietary Fiber 3.85g 15%    Sugars 4.26g   Protein 42.34g  85% Vitamin A (IU) 0 0% Vitamin C 0.05mg 0% Calcium 62.8mg 6% Iron 3.57mg 20%

Chicken Soup with Yuca root, squash and carrots

Chicken Soup with Yuca root, squash and carrots

Ingredient:

1 chopped onion

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 chicken breast, cubed

2 Yuca roots

4 Calabaza squash, sliced

3 carrots, julienned (I sliced them)

4 chicken bouillon cubes

8 cups of water

1 tbl. of cumin

cracked pepper and sea salt

Directions:

Step 1: Get a large pot and spray some olive oil on the bottom and let it heat up.

Step 2: Saute the chopped onion in the pot for 2 minutes, until clear. Then, add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute. Next, add the cubed chicken breast, the cumin and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 3: While the chicken breast is cooking, peel the Yuca root and slice along with the Calabaza squash. The Yuca root is real dense, so I put in with the chicken for 5 minutes to soften it up. Then, julienne the carrots if you like it to look pretty (I sliced them).

Step 4: After the chicken breast is thoroughly cooked, add 8 cups of water along with the 4 chicken bouillon cubes in the pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, cover with a top and bring to a boil.

Step 5: Once the water is to a boil, bring the temperature to medium and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add desired amount of pepper and a little sea salt. A good cook always taste their food.
This soup will last me for about 2-3 days.

Nutrition Facts Chicken Soup with Yuca root, squash and carrots Serving Size 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving
Calories 67.51 Calories from Fat  4.7
% Daily Value
Total Fat 0.52g	1%
Saturated Fat 0.13g	1%
Trans Fat 0.01g
Cholesterol 14mg	5%
Sodium 173.66mg	7%
Total Carbohydrate 9.48g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0.83g	3%
Sugars 1.09g
Protein 6.15g	12%
Vitamin A (IU) 60.97	1%
Vitamin C 4.81mg	8%
Calcium 17.13mg	2%
Iron 0.35mg	2%

Low - Carb Whole Grain Pancakes

Serving size:   1/4 cup Recipe category:   Breads Prep time:   15 min Cook time:   40 min Difficulty:   Easy

Calories:   78 (8% DV) Fat:   2g (10% DV) Carbohydrates:   10g (7% DV) Protein:   5g (7% DV)

Ingredients:  Makes 12 servings (3 cups)

1/2  cup		Corn Flour
1/4  cup		Ground Flaxseeds
1/4  cup		Soybean Flour
1/4  cup		Vital Wheat Gluten
1/2  cup		of egg whites
1-1/2  cups		of water
3  tablespoons		of organic sugar
1  teaspoon		of baking powder
1  teaspoon		of sea salt

Directions:  

Step 1: In a large bowl, add the egg whites and water and mix well. In another bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Next slowly mix the dry with the wet ingredients until smooth.

Step 2: Heat up a medium size pan on Medium/High temperature. Use a 1/4 cup to measure the pancake and cook each side for 2 minutes.

Step 3: You can add a little sprinkle of organic sugar and cinnamon as a topping instead of syrup. It will save you plenty of calories.

Nutrition Facts Whole Grain Pancakes Serving Size 1/4 cup Amount Per Serving Calories 77.68 Calories from Fat  20 % Daily Value Total Fat 2.33g 4%    Saturated Fat 0.13g 1%    Trans Fat 0g   Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 204.85mg  9% Total Carbohydrate 10g 3%    Dietary Fiber 1.26g 5%    Sugars 2.32g   Protein 4.61g  9% Vitamin A (IU) 0.15 0% Vitamin C 0.02mg 0% Calcium 28.07mg 3% Iron 0.39mg 2%