Portion Control is key

In any healthy meal, there is one thing you want to keep in mind: portion control. A lot of people think that it's all about what you eat, and that is true; however, sometimes it's about how much of that food you are eating. I talked about a few of my favorite foods in my last two posts. Those meals are definitely healthier than their alternative ways of preparation, but if you eat too much of them in one sitting, they aren't so healthy anymore.

Source: niddk.nih.gov

The first step is knowing the serving size. It usually says it on the back of labels, but you can learn about serving size on United States Department of Agriculture website. Now, I'n not telling you to constantly be counting you calories; that would get frustrating. It's easier to learn portion control when you understand sizes of specific foods. Again, you can find most of this information on the USDA website.

Next, you can buy single-serving sized tupperware and manually put single-servings of the food into baggies. This can go for mid-day snacks to how much chicken you want to cook for dinner. When you cook in single servings, instead of serving everything family style at dinner, you'll be less inclined to take more when you see your plate is full.

According to Health.com, it is also important to drink water before and after meals. This helps with digestion, but when water is consumed before the meal, it helps to fill you up so you won't eat as much.

Lastly, don't supersize your meal. Also, probably not a good idea to go to McDonalds, but that's just my opinion. Even though they are offering you a medium for 50 cents more, just stick with the small. One, you wanted the small and two, it is more calories and food than your body needs to be healthy.

You can eat foods that you want in moderation and not have to worry about it after the fact. It fills you up if you're eating small portions of more food and then you're getting the right amount of each food group. You don't have to feel bad about eating that awesome steak and potatoes if you eat the right amount. That's why they invented the to-go box!