Portion Control Snacks

I honestly do love healthy food. I’ll take a bowl of quinoa over pasta any day of the week. The problem for me, and many other people isn’t what I eat- it is how much I eat.

Read: I have a problem with portion control!

Even “bad” food isn’t that bad for you in small doses.

 

As my sister always says- taste everything, eat nothing.

 

And she clearly practices what she preaches; she does a great job at maintaining her weight on her small 5’1” frame.

She’ll have a half of a sandwich for lunch. She’ll cook up 4 oz of salmon for dinner. And maybe one cookie for dessert.

I’ve never heard her say “I can’t eat that”, but I always hear her say “Can you cut me off a small taste?”.

Recently, I’ve become a little more vigilant about my portions. As the date of my marathon inches closer (June 4!) and my ability to train is still sidelined thanks to a stress fracture in my shin, I know any run I’ll be able to do will be much easier with a few less pounds.

 

This Lent, I gave up two things- gum (which totally sucked the first few days, but now I’m fine) and eating out of the packaging.

 

Meaning, no more mindlessly grabbing handfuls at a time of granola out of the bag. Same thing for cereal, almond butter, and grapes. I can have what I want; I just have to portion it out- portion control is key.

And let me tell you, it’s a lot easier to mindlessly eat when it’s coming from the black hole of a bag, instead of a clear portion on a plate.

And not surprisingly, since Lent started I’ve lost 4 pounds. I haven’t cut anything out. I’ve just paused, portioned, and enjoyed.

 

A few portion control snacks that I’ve loved since I started this little experiment are the artisan Italian baked goods by Panetteria Clemente.

 

 

They make delicious biscotti and pizza taralli, along with many other products.

The biscotti are the perfect size to satisfy my sweet tooth after dinner. Three biscotti and a cup of tea and I’m all set for my dessert.

If I want a little bread with my dinner, I’ll go for the pizza taralli. It’s this amazingly seasoned mini round breadstick. It gives me a taste of pizza without all the calories of a slice.

 

Another reason I’m loving Panetteria Clemente is their products are made with all natural ingredients. No fillers or chemicals here!

 

Real talk- I always want more after I’m done. But I’m also happy that I didn’t overdo it.

Portion control isn’t easy, but it is the best way for most people to manage their weight.

Working out only gets you about 80%-90% towards helping you achieve or maintain your weight goals. The rest is what you eat.

 

So why not enjoy some amazing food in reasonable portions?

 

You’ll be far happier than cutting out food groups altogether, and those shorts you want to wear this summer won’t be a such a squeeze. Since it’s the first day of spring, that is a really welcomed thought!