Got too plates?
recommend people check what a portion size should look like from time to time by weighing things out or by using a jug with designated markings for rice or pasta,” she says.
Even with foods that we may consider to be healthier, such as dried fruit and nuts and fruit juice, it’s easy to forget how much a portion is and have too much. A 30g serving of unsalted almonds is 184 calories but eat a handful and you’ll be consuming double that.
“This all adds up and can lead to weight gain,” explains Amanda. “Humans have a natural instinct to clear their plates and research has shown that bigger portions simply encourage us to eat more.
“Equally, if you’re out to dinner and are served a big portion you’re inclined to eat it all just because you’re paying for it. This is okay once in a while but if you’re someone who eats out regularly or grabs food on the go, this can quickly cause you to gain weight.”
You only have to look around at the supermarket or on the bus to see how we’ve all become larger.
Latest NHS figures available for 2015 reveal that 58 per cent of women and 68 per cent of men in England were classed as overweight or obese. In the 1980s, just six per cent of men and eight per cent of women in the UK fell into this category.
In its 2013 report, Measuring Up, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges blamed modern lifestyles, including our reliance on the car, desk-bound jobs, sitting in front of the TV or computer, as well as high-calorie food for this rapid rise in our national excess baggage.
“This isn’t the whole story,” says Amanda. “A finger also needs to be firmly pointed at the steadily increasing portions of the foods and drinks we consume on a day-to-day basis. We could do a lot worse than simply starting to downsize portions to those we were eating back then.”
The full version of this article appears in the February edition of Healthy Food Guide, out now.