The Art of Portion Control: Mastering Low-Calorie Meals

Nowadays diet is a big part of life. With so much research going into different diets and what is good for the body, a person can now create an ideal diet for their exact weight, height, body type and lifestyle. It’s not just all about eating the healthiest ingredients possible, but about crafting dishes that are good for you but also nourishing and making you feel food.

Portion control is one way that people form a diet perfect for them. Here at Eat Water, we supply low-calorie products that are perfect for portion control and crafting nutritious, low-calorie meals.

Read on to find out more about what portion control is and how to master a few of our favourite low-calorie meals.

What Is Portion Control?

Portion control is quite simple really. It just means choosing a healthy amount of certain foods to make up a meal. Portion control has numerous benefits such as being able to digest food easier, reach or maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar levels, stay energised throughout the day and benefit from all the nutrients of the food without overeating.

Portion control is about finding the perfect amount to eat. Too much food can make you feel sluggish and is unhealthy, while too little food will not give you the energy you need and will make you lose weight in an unhealthy manner.

The amount of certain foods and the amount of calories you need depend on a variety of factors such as sex, age, overall health and level of physical activity but the recommended calorie amount is around 2000 for a woman and 2500 for a man. You can use portion control to ensure you hit this amount of calories and that the food you use to make up these calories is divided into all the necessary food groups to stay healthy.

Serving Vs Portion Size

The big distinction people need to be aware of is how serving sizes and portion sizes can be different. A serving size is a standardised, measured amount of food - such as what you might find on the nutrition section of food packaging. A portion size is the amount that you choose to eat, which can be more or less than a serving size.

For example, a serving size of pasta might be 100g, but you may have a different portion size of this if you’re loading the meal with other ingredients or know you may have a dessert afterwards. If you’re eating at a restaurant, consider the size of the plate. Restaurant portions are often more than a single serving, so if you’re eating restaurant-size potions at home you may be overeating.

You can practise good portion control by knowing the exact size of all the bowls, cups, plates and other kitchen utensils. This will allow you to portion control more efficiently, as you’ll know the exact size to use. You can check your usual portion size by pouring what you consider a usual portion is of something and then measuring this amount.

An ideal plate of food for lunch/dinner should typically be divided into 3 separate elements. Half of the plate should be made up of fruits and vegetables, preferably a range of different ones for the max amount of nutrients. A quarter of the plate should be made up of proteins. If you’re dieting you should pick lean proteins, as they are good for your body.

The final quarter should be made up of grains, preferably whole grains. They are good for your heart and the fibre inside grains can keep you full longer. Foods like potatoes fit into this quarter of your plate, as even though they are vegetables they are high in starch.

The Benefits Of Meal-Prepping Low-Calorie Meals

Meal prepping is a great way to ensure you stick to your portion sizes and eat low-calorie meals whenever. By planning ahead, you can gather the exact amount of ingredients you need to make up the perfect plate. It also prevents you from coming home from a long day, not being bothered to cook so instead resort to an unhealthy takeaway. If your lovely low-calorie meal is already prepped and waiting, you can just eat that!

Meal prepping can also help you save money by buying ingredients you might need in bulk, instead of buying smaller, more expensive individual items. Meal prep saves time, as you only need to take up an hour to prep all of your meals for potentially the next week, giving you time to get on with other things in life.

Meal prep also has benefits for your mental health. It can help reduce stress levels by avoiding making last-minute decisions over what to eat, or rushing the preparation and being sad about a sub-par meal.

Low-Calorie Dinners You Can Try

Here at Calorie Watchers, we want our customers to make the most out of our food items, so have provided an array of options on our site for how to best enjoy our products. Here are a few we think you should try.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Who doesn’t love a good chicken noodle soup? This hearty dish is perfect when you’re feeling a bit run down, the weather is a bit rubbish or simply because you’re craving it. And now with our slim noodles, you can try this chicken noodle soup recipe without feeling guilty. This simple recipe combines noodles, chicken and a variety of spices for the perfect low-calorie meal.

Mushroom & Tuna Fettuccine

A fettucini is a very popular dish, but many stray away from it as it typically has a high-calorie content, making it unsuitable for diets or maintaining a healthy weight. Here at Calorie Watchers, we’re changing that with our delicious mushroom and tuna fettuccine.

Seafood Lemon Pepper Spaghetti

This recipe is one of our favourites. A seafood lemon pepper spaghetti might not be something you’d usually think of to make, but trust us, it's delightful! It has a bit of everything in, with the seafood element being squid, mussels and cod! Add spring onions, wine, parsley, eggs, cheese and lemon to finish off this delicious low-calorie dinner.

Gazpacho

This gazpacho recipe from Calorie Watchers is a great hearty meal that is also low in calories. It uses our Slim Rice to help thicken the meal and is packed full of vegetables for that health kick you desire. This includes cucumbers, bell pepper, onion and tomatoes.

Low-Calorie Lunches From Calorie Watchers

If you’re looking to master the art of portion control and begin making low-calorie meals, shop with Calorie Watchers today for a range of great products that will help you on your journey. Shopping with us means you can still enjoy the taste of pasta, rice and noodles but do not have to feel bad about eating them.

Our slim products are made from a unique blend of konjac flour which allows them to be delicious and guilt-free. No longer do you have to worry about your diet not allowing plenty of carbohydrates, as our noodles, rice and pasta will allow you to cook your favourite dishes without breaking your diet.

Our products are perfect if you are living a keto lifestyle or are simply looking for a low-calorie alternative. They have a high fibre content, which aids digestion and overall gut health. As well as individual noodles, rice and pasta, we offer a selection of ready meals. This means you don’t even need to go through the hassle of cooking, simply pop them in the microwave or enjoy them cold!

Shop our products today, check out recipes or get in touch if you have any questions.