The Portion Plate is an interactive tool for teaching consumers appropriate food portions. Unlike a text-based paper educational brochure, The Portion Plate is an actual melamine, dishwasher-safe plate that offers a tangible demonstration of how much food we should eat. Not only are the plate's illustrated portion areas a good guide to follow, but the make up of a good meal is also presented. This means 1/2 of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, 1/4 of your plate whole grains and the remaining 1/4 lean protein.
About The Portion Plate
TM
"I'm working towards reaching a healthy weight and have dropped 25 of my 75 excess pounds so far. The plate is immensely helpful as it keeps me honest and encouraged! Focus matters, as does intent. The plate is my ally in resetting my intention on my focus each time I see and/or use it." Leah Palki Be, Lakewood Colorado
As we have already discussed, filling your plate with the correct portion sizes is imperative during weight loss or weight management programs, but it is important to mention that the foods and lifestyle you choose will also have a great effect on your results. As you are following the portions provided for you on your plate, also consider the healthy eating tips below:
- Eat 5-9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables
- Use whole grains instead of refined (white) bread, rice, cereal or pasta
- Cut back on sweetened drinks and soda. A 12oz. can of soda contains 10 tsp of sugar or high fructose corn syrup (empty calories that do not satisfy hunger)
- Limit fats to less than 20% of daily intake. Avoid saturated or trans fats and replace with plant based oils - olive, canola and peanut
- Use low fat dairy products
- Walk or exercise every day!
- If you get a supersized meal, share it with a friend or take half home
- Avoid buffets
- Ask for heart healthy menu items or for baked, broiled or steamed foods
- Skip the bread, rolls and tortilla chips
- Ask for salad dressing on the side. Use it sparingly if high in fat
- Put your fork down between bites. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to your brain that it's full
"My personal goal was to not only increase my exercise, but not be tricked into fad diets. I know the only healthy way to lose weight is to go back to what we all learned as children: Eat right! The plate gives the visual I needed to put what I knew into action.
It is a brilliant way to put knowledge into practice, a fun way to bring health conversation to friends and family, and an innovative way to teach children how to start on the right foot! Especially where in North America portion control in restaurants and even grocery stores is nonexistent. We need to tackle this problem of obesity and it is not going to happen in crash diets, but in eating nutritious food and the right amount of it. May we eat to live...not live to eat!" V. Corbett, Gordon College
Portion Plate Teaching Messages - Fact Sheet
1. Aids in consumer decision-making.
- It is a strategy that someone can start using right away with their next meal. The research suggests that portion control is behaviorally, an easier strategy to begin using
2. Visual cues help re-train the mind and help increase awareness of proper portion sizes.
- The plate is something that is easily understood by using recognizable visual cues that the intended audience can understand and relate to
- The research states that people are not necessarily aware that they are over-eating and if they are aware, they are confused as to what a correct portion size is
- These types of visual cues closely relate to suggested serving sizes, and will help raise awareness
and clear up confusion
3. The divisions on the plate help teach proper proportions and the components of a healthy diet. (¼ lean meat; ¼ whole grains; ½ fruits and vegetables)
- It emphasizes proportion addressing the importance of “what” we eat. The American Cancer
Society has material called The Great American Plate which is a colorful way to teach and learn about “what” makes up a healthy plate
4. The color-coded fonts and plate design offers opportunities to incorporate teaching principles of the New Food Guide Pyramid.
5. Luncheon-size plate helps people serve themselves smaller portions and control unintentional over-eating.
6. The messaging on the kids plate links healthy eating with healthy outcomes such as being a better student, athlete etc. Healthy eating helps kids play better and learn better. It deliberately avoids any reference to eating with appearance.
"I am trying to loose 20 pounds and The Portion Plate is exactly what I need to visualize what I am getting ready to eat and how much I should be eating. I work in the wellness department at Carteret General Hospital and we use many avenues to help people loose weight (Weight Watchers, Hypnosis, ect...). Visualization is the best." Rosey Liles, Carteret General Hospital
"The Portion Plate is a simple, but great idea. It is so easy to overload a plate with too much food (waste not want not philosophy instilled in me as a child). The first time I used my Portion Plate, I deliberately chose the smallest piece of salmon, and was amazed that it overflowed on both sides of the plate...hardly room for anything else! So I could SEE instantly that my portions were too big. I am buying one for all my friends." Helen Porter, McLean Virginia
