The Sunday News
Simon Gama
MOST people underestimate the amount of food pile on their plates, pouring in 2-3 times the amount listed as a serving.
Putting yourself on the back, you think you’ve finally figured out the world of diet and nutrition. You’ve read the labels and estimated the fat and calories in your meal. You’re set, right?
Wrong. What about the size of your portions? The truth is, most people underestimate the amount of food they pile on their plates.
For instance, the label of breakfast cereal may say that one serving contains 150 calories with 5 grams of fat. That’s fine if you realise that one serving equals one-half cup of cereal, and that’s all you eat. Most people, unfortunately, pour in 2-3 times that amount and therefore consume up to 450 calories and 15 grams of fat!
To steer away from misjudging serving sizes, practice visualising realistic food portions. For instance, 3 ounces of cooked meat is considered a serving. That’s about the size of a deck of playing cards. One ounce of bread is one slice from a loaf. Bagels and rolls may weigh 3 or 4 ounces, making them equal to three or four slices of bread.
An ounce of cheese is approximately a 1-inch cube. That’s still a mouthful, equalling 9 grams of fat alone!
To avoid pitfalls, learn what your food looks like in its actual serving size. Use a measuring cup to see how much cereal should be in your bowl. Train your eye to see the difference between 3 and 4 ounces of turkey.
Spud appeal
Stuffing potatoes the healthy way!
Whether topped with seasoned vegetables, non-fat yoghurt or salsa, the baked potato is quickly becoming the main course in many of our meals. How easy can a meal be?
By simply emptying out our refrigerators, we can put together a healthy, low-fat meal easily adapted to anyone’s taste buds.
But beware of traditional potato stuffings like fatty sour cream, butter and cheese. Opt for new low-fat combinations that are making baked potatoes so appealing to today’s health-conscious consumers. Try these new flavour twists for a quick potato topping make-over.
– Shredded fresh vegetables with pepper and basil or tarragon.
–Chopped onion with pepper and grated lemon peel.
– Sliced fresh mushrooms sautéed in lemon juice and minced garlic.
– Relish made from corn kernels, chopped tomato, green pepper, onions, red wine vinegar and oregano.
– Fat-free sour cream and snipped chives.
– Fat-free salad dressing.
Shelf dates
Do they help or hinder?
Have you ever been confused by such terms stamped on food containers as “sell by” or “best if used by”? You are not alone.
Consumers today want to know about food freshness. To help inform buyers, food companies voluntarily stamp dates on their products. But what do these dates mean?
The “best if used by” date tells you the end of the period during which a food is at its freshest. Used after this date, the food may taste stale.
The “expiration” date is the last day a food should be eaten. After this date the food should be eaten. After this date the food should be thrown away for safety reasons.
The “sell by” date informs the consumer of the last day that a product should be sold by the store. These foods can usually be kept longer because they allow for home storage time.
The “pack” date is marked on the day of packaging. It is there to help companies and is of no importance to the consumer.
