Portion control tips for the health-conscious Nigerian

Portion control should not be a strange concept to you if you have tried to eat healthily, keep fit, or lose weight at some point in time. It is simply controlling the amount of food that you consume per meal.

This has been shown to have some effect on weight control. Portion control is especially important now that obesity is now a global problem. Nigeria is not left out as research has shown that the prevalence of overweight Nigerians ranged from20.3% – 35.1% and that of obesity ranging between 8.1% – 22.2%.

In simple terms, if you are constantly eating large food portions, you could be on your way to being obese or overweight. The way out of this is to control those portion sizes.

Portion Control Tips

So You put in a certain quantity of food into your pan or pot. You eyeball it, then you think it is not enough. You add more and end up with a big portion. Does this happen to you? Probably. Well, here are some tips to help with your portion control:

Get small plates

This is basic psychology, really. A small portion looks really small and lonely in the middle of a large plate which might make you get more. A smaller plate will give you the feeling of eating a lot.

Drink water before every meal

Taking a glass of water about 30 minutes before every meal could help with portion control. This will make you feel less hungry and helps you to determine if you are really hungry or you just need some water.

Eat Slowly

If you wolf down your food, your brain will be less aware of you getting full. It typically takes about 20 minutes for this to happen. So, eating slowly allows your brain to catch up, which will help you not to overeat.

One more thing, when you eat slowly, you tend to enjoy your food more. You savor the taste which makes eating a more pleasurable experience. You are two for two! Next time you are eating, slow down and enjoy your meal, it might just help you keep your portions small.

Portion is king

If overeating is an issue for you, here is what you should do next time you are about to eat. Sit down to your meals and remove all distractions. Make sure to use a small plate, and take a glass of water before you start. Eat slowly and savor every bite, you might just be able to stop yourself from overeating.