What makes the ideal meal in a balanced diet?

As portion sizes of food and drink have grown over time, we start to think of these as ‘normal’. Known as ‘portion distortion’, this unfortunately contributes further to overeating and an unbalanced energy intake.^1,2

The amount of food we normally choose to eat is determined by how hungry we feel at the time. In theory, we should select an amount of food we think we need, and then stop eating when we start to feel full. In reality, the amount we actually eat is often more influenced by the portion of food we are served, rather than letting hunger and fullness be our guide.³ Simply put, we’re more likely to overeat if we serve up too much food, or if there is access to food for us to continuously graze on.

Without hunger cues, determining the amount of food we require as part of a balanced diet becomes extremely tricky.³ In this case, we normally eat the food because it’s there. Have you ever found yourself grazing on foods while you cook dinner, finding you’re almost full by dinner time, but then finish your whole meal anyway? Consistently consuming food or drinks in the absence of hunger is where we can start to see how strongly our habits influence our eating.

Having an awareness of portion sizes and strategies to manage portion sizes, can help us consistently eat foods in a healthy and balanced way. This may sound complicated, but there’s actually a simple solution. By dividing your plate into sections for different food types, you can easily manage your energy intake and prevent overeating.



Step 1: Choose a medium-sized dinner plate

The first step for managing portions is selecting a plate, bowl or cup that is an appropriate size. While we might like to serve food on large plates or supersize our cups, research has shown that simply reducing the size of a bowl, plate or cup helps us maintain or achieve a healthy weight.¹

Step 2: Fill half your plate with vegetables

You can’t overeat vegetables. They’re the most nutrient-dense foods around, and they increase the size of your meal without adding excess energy. Increasing your vegetable serves per day can decrease your risk of death from heart disease, even if you change nothing else about the way you eat.

Ideas

Choose as many as you like of the following to fill half the plate:

Step 3: Fill one quarter of your plate with a carbohydrate source

Carbohydrates are our preferred source of fuel for energy, and while there is no need to completely remove or dramatically reduce carbohydrate in our diets, intake should be moderated by good portion control. Choose sources of carbohydrate that offer plenty of fibre. Fibre offers many health benefits and slows digestion for longer lasting energy.

Ideas

Choose one of the following to fill one quarter of the plate:

Step 4: Fill one quarter of your plate with a protein source

Protein has many important roles in the body, and it also helps with weight management and appetite control. This is because protein takes longer to digest and triggers the production of fullness hormones in the brain.

Ideas

Choose one of the following to fill one quarter of the plate:

Step 5: Complete your plate with a healthy fat source

Fat can slow digestion, and adding a source of healthy fat to your meal or snack can help stave off hunger before your next meal. Just remember that fat is very energy dense, and portions should be kept small to help manage your weight.

Ideas

Choose one of the following:

• Stir-fried chicken and vegetables with ½ cup brown rice
• Sesame crusted salmon with avocado salad and one medium baked potato
• Chilli beef noodles

• Practice makes perfect! Follow the steps above and practice visualising serving sizes to help control your portions. You’ll have no worries the next time you’re faced with a large buffet.
• To help monitor your intake, always serve food onto a dish before eating. Try not to eat straight from a packet or tub of food.
• Set aside leftovers before eating your meal. You’ll then have a healthy, balanced lunch ready to go for the next day.
• Portion sizes can be very large when we eat out, so try sharing a main meal with someone else. Consider adding an extra side of vegetables too.
• Practice mindful eating. Think about your meal, slow down your eating and simply enjoy the experience. Avoiding other distractions while eating can help us become more in tune with our internal hunger and fullness cues.