Portions: learn to take care of your food

Don’t complicate yourself by trying to figure out the weigh and the size of the portions you should eat at every meal, put the math aside and check out this article that will give you the necessary references to eat healthy and delicious.

All living things need throughout the day a number of portions of certain types of food for the body to perform its functions successfully. However, this does not mean it's easy to remember the amount of protein, vegetables or grains if we are busy resolving difficult situations in our work or home. But what if we stop thinking of quantities and imagine everyday objects. This dish will be your guide to eat well and healthy.

What is the plate?

• It is a tool that facilitates the recognition of the portions of food that we eat at each meal.
• It teaches us to eat all the food groups and portions of each.
• It's easy to remember to use visual memory.

The different food groups

Learn about our food groups:

Grains (cereals): In this group are carbohydrates that provide energy to our body. Here you will find: wheat, rice, rye and barley. This group also provides us with fiber that helps in the digestive process.

Vegetables: In this group we find vitamins and fiber that help prevent disease and keep us in good condition. It is perhaps the most attractive of the group list, by the myriad of tastes, smells, colors and textures that have fruits like mango, grapefruit, pomegranate, kiwi, banana, strawberry, and many more.

Dairy: We have 206 bones in our body. This group provides an important part of our calcium for strong bone structure. It also provides protein and vitamins A, D and B. Cheese, milk, yogurt and derived are a substantial part of this group.

Protein: The last group is the red or white meats that provide a powerful amount of protein to our muscles and give us strength. Fish, chicken, pork, veal or beef. But there are foods such as legumes that also provide us with high protein content, as beans, lentils, or peas.
Also nuts, almonds and hazelnuts do their part.

How many servings your body needs?

Even though we all have unique energy needs, there are some general rules that can help you balance your diet.

Use your plate as a guide: approximately, ¼ of the plate should be whole grains; it can be ½ cup of brown riceor a slice of bread. You can also use pasta but prevent excess fat.

¼ of your plate should be meat: it can be chicken, beef, fish. For you to calculate a portion, serve the approximate size of the palm of your hand without fingers.

Half of your plate should include fruits and vegetables, be sure to choose fresh vegetables and always vary them, if you cannot include salads, try options like steamed or sautéed.

The simple sugars and fats should be limited, so use only the necessary to enhance the flavor of food, it is important that we use vegetable oils such as olive oil or corn, among others, to cook our food, when necessary.

At least we should include in our diet, 3 servings of vegetables and two of fruit.

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