Jump directly to the content
PORTION CONTROL

‘Healthy’ snacks could be adding 300 calories to your diet a day – follow this handy guide and NEVER overeat again

YOU may be armed with the best of intentions, a snack draw brimming with "healthy" treats.

But with no understanding of portion control, you could be eating as many as 300 EXTRA calories a day, sabotaging your dieting dreams.

Popcorn may be a "healthy" snack, but eat too much and you'll still pile on the pounds. These portions reveal how much you should eat if you want to lose, maintain or gain weight
16
Popcorn may be a "healthy" snack, but eat too much and you'll still pile on the pounds. These portions reveal how much you should eat if you want to lose, maintain or gain weight
Here's how much oil you should be using in your cooking if you want to lose weight, left, maintain weight, middle or gain weight, right
16
Here's how much oil you should be using in your cooking if you want to lose weight, left, maintain weight, middle or gain weight, right
Portion control could help you shed as many as 300 calories from your daily diet, experts say
16
Portion control could help you shed as many as 300 calories from your daily diet, experts say

The rise of the clean eating trend has given way to people opting for popcorn and whole foods like nuts, dark chocolate and nut butters in a bid to keep up energy levels between main meals.

But experts are warning these healthy snacks can still wreak havoc with your waistline.

This set of pictures, based on NHS guidelines, offers a handy visual guide to how much of your favourite healthy treats you should actually be eating.

And it reveals the best portion sizes depending on whether your want to lose, maintain or gain weight.

Julian Gaine, a nutritional adviser and the founder of portion control gadget , told The Sun Online: "Portion control is a way of visualising and understand a size of a food group to consume for a meal or an entire day.

"We have kind of lost our way, plates are bigger, spoons are bigger, portions are bigger, everything is becoming kind of supersized over the last few years.

These handy pictures reveal the size portions you should be sticking to if you're trying to slim down
16
These handy pictures reveal the size portions you should be sticking to if you're trying to slim down
It may be one of your five-a-day, but guzzling too much orange juice could be sabotaging your best intentions
16
It may be one of your five-a-day, but guzzling too much orange juice could be sabotaging your best intentions
If you're keen to trim that waist, hold back and stick to just three new potatoes with your dinner
16
If you're keen to trim that waist, hold back and stick to just three new potatoes with your dinner
It's a great snack when you're desperate for a sugar hit, but that doesn't mean you can aimlessly eat dried fruit, a small handful is more than enough if you want to lose weight
16
It's a great snack when you're desperate for a sugar hit, but that doesn't mean you can aimlessly eat dried fruit, a small handful is more than enough if you want to lose weight

"This is getting people to understand what a portion size is rather than what it has become."

Julian said portion control is an alternative to counting your daily calories because it allows you to understand how much of a food you can eat.

He said: "If you start calorie counting and weighing food it can become a bit of a chore and you can become obsessive.

"But portion control, for me, is a way of life and something that is definitely sustainable."

Nutritionists at MealKitt put together the handy guide to help people with portion control
16
Nutritionists at MealKitt put together the handy guide to help people with portion controlCredit: Mealkitt
The portions are all based on NHS guidelines, said Julian Gaine, founder of the portion control gadget MealKitt
16
The portions are all based on NHS guidelines, said Julian Gaine, founder of the portion control gadget MealKitt
Mr Gaine said with bigger plates, spoons and bowls, it's easy to accidentally eat too much of your favourite healthy snack
16
Mr Gaine said with bigger plates, spoons and bowls, it's easy to accidentally eat too much of your favourite healthy snack
Portion control is a good alternative to calorie counting, Mr Gaine said
16
Portion control is a good alternative to calorie counting, Mr Gaine said

He explained that if people are unaware of the correct portion size for their snack, both health and unhealthy foods tend to be eaten in excess.

Julian added: "Sometimes we think, even with foods that are good for us like nuts and think 'oh wow these things are absolutely fantastic for us'.

"And it is good for us, but the reason portion control is so important when it comes to putting on weight or not putting on weight is understand how much of even good foods we should be eating.

To lose weight you should aim to eat around 1,400 calories for a woman and 1,900 for a man
16
To lose weight you should aim to eat around 1,400 calories for a woman and 1,900 for a man
Oily fish is a healthy part of any diet, just ensure you're not eating too much
16
Oily fish is a healthy part of any diet, just ensure you're not eating too much
Granola is a healthy option to kick off your day, but watch how much you're pouring, it could be jeopardising your best efforts
16
Granola is a healthy option to kick off your day, but watch how much you're pouring, it could be jeopardising your best efforts

"One of the things I see is nuts and fruit.

"A handful of nuts can be between 100 and 200 calories and a bag of nuts, everybody goes through them just nibbling at them, they are 500 or 600 calories right there.

"And fruit, even though it is a natural sugar, it is still a sugar."

HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD EAT TO LOSE, GAIN, OR MAINTAIN WEIGHT

According to the experts at MealKitt here's what you should be eating if you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your weight...

Lose weight:
To lose weight your diet should be:

  • 45 per cent protein
  • 35 per cent fat
  • 20 per cent carbs
  • Consist of 1,400 calories per day for a woman and 1,900 calories per day for a man

Gain weight:

To gain weight your diet should be:

  • 30 per cent protein
  • 20 per cent fat
  • 50 per cent carbs
  • Consist of 2,600 calories per day for a woman and 3,100 calories per day for a man

Maintain weight:
To maintain weight your diet should be:

  • 30 per cent protein
  • 30 per cent fat
  • 40 per cent carbs
  • Consist of 2,000 calories per day for a woman and 2,500 calories per day for a man

The MealKitt kitchen app was developed by a personal trainer and aims to help people make better choices when it comes to portion control.

Julian explained that most fad diets rely heavily on portion control, so it is important to know how much of a particular food group you should be eating so you can stick to your chosen diet.

Cheese in small quantities is a good addition to a healthy balanced diet, but eating too much can prove a disaster if you're trying to trim down
16
Cheese in small quantities is a good addition to a healthy balanced diet, but eating too much can prove a disaster if you're trying to trim down

MOST READ IN HEALTH

'Miracle' little girl born WITHOUT a face defies incredible odds to survive
BORN WITH NO FACE

'Miracle' little girl born WITHOUT a face defies incredible odds to survive

Half of blokes have no idea where a woman's vagina is - while only 1 in 10 could ID their partners' privates in a line-up
Privates eye

Half of blokes have no idea where a woman's vagina is - while only 1 in 10 could ID their partners' privates in a line-up

Actress discovers ringing ears is 'blood vessels pulsating in her brain' as docs find mass that could kill her at any moment
TICKING TIME BOMB

Actress discovers ringing ears is 'blood vessels pulsating in her brain' as docs find mass that could kill her at any moment

This is how much sex you SHOULD be having... according to your age
SEX CLUES

This is how much sex you SHOULD be having... according to your age

 

Base foods such as carbs and fruit and veg should make up the majority of our diets, the NHS suggests
16
Base foods such as carbs and fruit and veg should make up the majority of our diets, the NHS suggestsCredit: NHS

Why we need to eat a balanced diet

Eating a balanced diet is an essential part of maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of overall health.

The more unbalanced our diet is the more likely we are to be obese.

In the UK about one in four adults are considered obese as are about one in five kids.

Being obese comes with a range of health risks including:

  • type 2 diabetes
  • heart disease
  • some types of cancer
  • stroke
  • high blood pressure
  • liver and kidney disease
  • high cholesterol
  • asthma

The best way to treat obesity is a healthy, reduced-calorie diet with regular exercise.

Source: NHS


We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368

 

Topics
YOU MIGHT LIKE
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
MORE FOR YOU