Your Guide to Food Portion Sizes & Control

by Leah Itsines

Last week, I asked you to help me move past my mental block and the response I received was soooo AMAZING!

This support means everything to me (and that's no exaggeration) because it means I can keep giving your EXACTLY what you want.

The number one thing you wanted support with was...

...portion sizes!!

And I hear you! There's a lot of confusing and overwhelming information out there, which means it's not always clear how much food we need to nourish our bodies.

If you've also ever wondered 'what I should eat?' then this is the blog post for you.

So I'm going to clear this up today with my Ultimate Guide to Food Portion Control and Sizes.

Everything I share today is based off information in my BARE eBook and The Nourishing Cook book, which have both been approved by a nutritionist. Both are packed full with perfectly balanced healthy meals, and BARE even has a 4 week healthy meal plan to make portion sizes and control even EASIER!

So let's dive into it...

 

A Balanced Plate

The Balanced Plate diagram is the PERFECT place to start because it gives you a clear visual of what you should look for on your plate. If you ever feel overwhelmed by everything else I'm about to tell you, then simply come back to this.

ALSO If you use these portions as a guide in all your cooking it will give you the base to experiment with different foods!

 

Leah Itsines Balanced Plate Portion Sizes

 

The Specific Guidelines

Ok, now to the nitty gritty...

I always try to create recipes that help you to have a SUPER balanced diet and ensure you're getting ALL the nutrients you need!

All my recommendations are based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) so you know it's alllll good and based on scientific evidence.

Sooo here are the following amount of serves for each food group:

  • 6 serves of Breads, Grains and Starchy Vegetables
  • 2.5 Serves of Dairy
  • 2.5 Serves of Lean Meats/Fish/Poultry
  • 5 Serves of Vegetables
  • 5 Serves of Healthy Fat
  • 2 Serves of Fruit

But what does a single serve look like???

This is where it can feel a little overwhelming...because every food is different BUT hopefully the table below will give you some much need CLARITY.

LEAN MEAT, FISH, POULTRY, EGGS, TOFU AND LEGUMES

  • 65g cooked lean red meats such as beef, lamb, veal, pork, goat or kangaroo (roughly 90-100g raw)
  • 80g cooked lean poultry such as chicken or turkey (100g raw)
  • 100g fish fillet about 115g raw) or one small can of fish
  • 2 large (120g) eggs
  • 1 cups (150g) cooked or canned legumes/beans such as lentils, chickpeas or split peas (preferably with no added salt)
  • 170g tofu
  • 30g nuts, seeds, peanut or almond butter or tahini or other nut or seed waste (no added salt)

HEALTHY FATS

  • 10g unsaturated spread (olive oil or canola or Nuttelex margarine)
  • 7g unsaturated oil (olive, canola or sunflower oil)
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) tahini (sesame butter)
  • 20g avocado - 20g (1 tablespoon) hummus
  • 10g nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans or walnuts)/ or nut pastes/butters

BREADS, GRAINS, CEREALS AND STARCHY VEGETABLES

  • 1 slice (40g) of bread
  • 1/2 medium (40g) roll or flat bread
  • 1/2 cup (75-120g) cooked rice, pasta, noodles, barley, buckwheat, semolina, polenta, bulgur or quinoa
  • 1/2 cup (120g) cooked porridge
  • 2/3 cup (30g) wheat cereal flakes
  • 1/4 cup (30g) natural muesli
  • 1 (60g) crumpet
  • 1 small (35g) English muffin or scone
  • 1 small wholemeal pita
  • ½ cup couscous, cooked

VEGETABLES

  • 1/2 cup cooked green or orange vegetables (for example, broccoli, spinach, carrots or pumpkin)
  • 1/2 cup cooked dried or canned beans, peas or lentils (preferably with no added salt)
  • 1 cup green leafy or raw salad vegetables
  • 1/2 cup sweet corn
  • 1/2 medium potato or other starchy vegetables (sweet potato, taro or cassava) 
  • 1 medium tomato

DAIRY

  • 1 cup (250ml) fresh, UHT long life, reconstituted powder milk, evaporated or buttermilk
  • 2 slices or (40g) of hard cheese, such as cheddar
  • 1/2 cup (120g) ricotta cheese
  • 3/4 cup (200g) yoghurt
  • 1 cup (250ml) soy, rice or other cereal drink with at least 100 mg of added calcium per 100g
  • 1 small coffee (250ml of skim, soy or almond milk)

FRUIT

A standard serve is about 150g or choose from:

  • 1 medium apple, banana, orange or pear
  • 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums
  • 100g blueberries
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 cup diced or canned fruit (no added sugar)
  • ½ a mango
  • 2-3 fresh dates
  • 3/4 cup pineapple
  • 1 cup red or green grapes

 

If you want further support with portion sizes and control then check out my 4 week healthy meal plan and eBook BARE, it's breaks every single meal and portion for you, so you don't even have to think! I've worked it all out for you.

I really hope this blog post helps everyone struggling with portion sizes! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Remember! If you try any of my recipes to let me know via Instagram @leahitsines. I love seeing, liking and sharing your tasty creations.

Happy eating,

Leah xx

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