Get Your Body Beach-ready with Portion Control

ARA - It's time to get your beach body back. Although rising food costs and the demands of everyday life can make it difficult to adopt a diet plan, these advance planning and portion control tips from the Reynolds Kitchens ensure a healthy meal or snack choice will be available whenever you need it.

Understand the Basics.

Restaurants are notorious for serving massive portions. Use these comparisons as a general guide to determine how much to eat and what to take home for a second meal:

* 1 cup fruit = one baseball
* 3 ounces grilled fish = a checkbook
* 3 ounces meat = one deck of cards
* 1 cup lettuce = four leaves
* 1 ounce cheese = four dice

Requesting a half-order or sticking to the kids’ menu is a helpful (and sometimes less expensive) way to stay on track.

Double Up.

Double your favorite healthy dinner recipe on Sunday night, separate into appropriate portions and freeze for serving later in the week. The Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealing System has a handheld vacuum sealer that virtually eliminates freezer burn, ensuring frozen meals will taste as fresh as the day they were made. These good-for-you meals are perfect to take to work or for kids when they get home from school.

Do the Math.

Many people avoid buying fresh fruits and vegetables – healthy meal staples – out of the fear that a large portion will go to waste. Take advantage of “two for one” sales and other promotions in the produce department. Vacuum and freeze whatever won’t be used in a week. Doing so saves money and ensures that your favorite fruits and vegetables are always available.

But Buy Realistically.

Certain foods fare poorly in the freezer no matter how well they’re packaged. Tomatoes, celery and potatoes lose their crispness and get watery, sour cream separates and avocados are only recommended to be frozen when mashed (not whole or sliced.)

Believe in Snack Packs.

One serving may be 11 potato chips, but it’s easy to lose track of how much you consume when you eat right out of the bag. Measuring economy items like pretzels, nuts and cereal into single servings ahead of time helps fight the temptation to eat more and teaches children how much food is appropriate for a snack.

Know Your Triggers.

Is it difficult to stop eating your favorite food even when you’re full? Some of us plan to eat a cookie or two, but find it nearly impossible to stop until the bag is gone. It may be best to avoid foods you know bring temptation – at least while it’s bathing suit season.

Courtesy of ARAcontent