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Switching to smaller plates, meal prepping and using kitchen gadgets are some of the simple solutions to help healthy eaters control their portion size. Food supplement retailer Skinnysprinkles.com has compiled the definitive list of tips to help dieters ditch their excessively large lunches and dinners in favour of more well-balanced meals. Here are the best ways to control your portion size. 

 Measure Accurately

It might seem time consuming to correctly measure out the exact millilitres of oil or a portion of pasta by tablespoon, but it’s still the most accurate way to work out your serving size.

 Use Your Hands

Measuring portion size against your hands is a quick and precise alterative to using weighing scales. For example, a portion of meat or poultry is roughly the size of your palm, cheese works out the size of about two thumbs and a portion of fruit should fit the size of your fist.

 Use Small Plates

Overeating can often be attributed to the size of the plate you are serving on, as the larger the surface the more likely you are to try and fill it. Smaller plates will make your meals appear larger, helping you to reduce excessively big portions.  

 Gadget Up

If you are prepared to spend a little cash to help work out your helpings of food then there are plenty of useful gadgets that can help. Tools such as portion scoops, spaghetti measurers and portion plates are most ideal.

 Stick to the 20-Minute Rule

If you still feel hungry after eating, make sure to leave at least 20 minutes for your food to settle before going back for seconds. This will give you time to digest the food you’ve already eaten, and should help put a stop to any feelings of hunger.

 Gauge When You’re Full

Making sure you don’t overeat means making sure you don’t eat until you’re full. Try to gauge when you are feeling about 70-80% full and then stop, otherwise, you’ll end up gorging on far more than your recommended number of portions.

 Meal-Prep for Accurate Portion Size

Preparing your lunch and dinners in advance allows you to measure out an appropriate portion size for each meal, saving you from the temptation to cook excessive amounts of food when it comes to eating.

 Avoid Cooking Leftovers

Cooking extra food that can be saved for another meal might seem like a good time-saving idea, but you run the risk of giving in to your hunger and eating it all in one sitting. Only make what you want to eat there and then, otherwise you’ll end up overheating.

 Don’t Skip Meals

Skipping meals will only serve to make you feel hungrier once you do decide to eat, and the more ravenous you feel when cooking the more likely it is that you’ll bite off more food than you can chew.

Amelia Graham