Portion Control with Meal Measure and Meal Measuring Dishes

by happynutritionist

Meal Measure and other portion control dishes make losing weight easy as long as you eat the amounts allowed. Here are several dishes and tools to control portions.

Portion control and portion control dishes or dinnerware are helpful whether you are a diabetic, want to lose weight, or weight management is your concern.

As a Nutritionist, I know how important weight control is. What I like about Meal Measure and similar dishes is the fact that you don't have to use measuring cups or scales any more to figure out just the right food portions for your meals.

All you need is your Meal Measure, which will fit in most standard sized dinner plates...just this one easy-to-use, easy-to-clean item, and you're all set. I share more about portion control dinnerware and several other tools and dishes below.

Content by Claudia Meydrech a/k/a happynutritionist
New on Wizzley September 2014 - Updated 5/8/18

Does Meal Measure Pictured Below Come With a Plate?

What Size Plates Can Be Used With It?

No, the plate pictured does not come with the Meal Measure…but that isn’t a problem, here’s why.

You can use the Meal Measure with any standard sized dinner plate, which is what you want to do anyway. Why? Because you want your eating experience to be familiar, what you are used to….but with the right portions of food. By doing this you are only changing one habit…the quantity of food you are eating, all the rest is comfortably the same.

Also, when you are eating at the table with family, your plate will look like every other plate on the table, you will just have better control of your portions…unless of course you are sharing the Meal Measure with other family members and working on portion control as a team!

Here is the Meal Measure Available for Purchase

The price is reasonable, you can purchase one or a set of two
Meal Measure 1 Portion Control Tool

Here is How the Portion Control Dish is Used

Even the new substitute for the food pyramid looks like a portioned plate

Each section of the Meal Measure is labeled. It almost reminds me of the new portioned plate image that replaces the food pyramid which was introduced in June 2011 by Michelle Obama and is pictured here. You will find a section for vegetables or fruit, for protein, and for starchy foods which are usually your carbohydrates…like potatoes, rice and pasta.

Each cavity equals 1 cup, and if your diet only calls for 1/2 a cup, no problem, there is a line marking 1/2 a cup inside each cavity.

Using it is as simple as can be, just put it on your plate, put the appropriate foods into the appropriate sections, remove the Meal Measure, and spread the food out so it looks like your plate has more in it – this helps you mentally when you’re eating for weight loss, believe me!

Now it’s time to enjoy your meal…eat slowly and savor each bite.

Tip: Remember that certain foods are so extremely low in calories that you can fill the “emptiness” on your plate with them, this would include salad greens and other salad items like cucumbers, green peppers and tomatoes – any similar vegetable that does not contain a high carbohydrate content. Your Salad Dressing could be the problem here, I solve that by sprinkling with a little Balsamic Vinegar, or using no more than 2 T. of Fat Free salad dressing.

Image Credit plus more information about choosemyplate.gov

Note: Meal Measure is TOP RACK Dishwasher Safe AND follows the USDA Food Pyramid

Diabetic Husband - Overweight Wife

Why Portion Control is Important to Me

To get a little personal, my husband, who just happened to see a Meal Measure on Dr. Oz for the first time, was a diabetic. He was for many years. Weight loss was a constant battle for him, and if there wasn't some way to control meal portions, or to be accountable, it was a losing battle. He needed to control the kinds of foods he ate as well. I am sorry to report that on August 6, 2017, my dear husband passed away suddenly in his sleep.

I am not extremely overweight, but struggle to keep an extra 20-30 lbs. of extra weight off. My blood work in recent years has shown my sugar creeping up, and elevated blood pressure. So portion control has become very important to me. I have been working hard and lost about 15 lbs. in the past few months.

In the past we had tried more than a few weight loss programs, and they worked for a time, but as soon as they are finished, they are finished…and the weight came back on. In fact, it seems like each time it comes back on, there is more of it...this time I hope to be more disciplined using portion control.

This simple weight control tool seems like the perfect solution for me. I can cook just like I always do, and use the Meal Measure to portion my foods.

Video: A Woman Using the Meal Measure

There are Other Weight Loss Plates Available

Here are a few for you
Adult MyPlate Flat Plate

Supports the USDA icon MyPlate to make half your plate fruits and vegetables, 1/4 whole grains, and 1/4 lean proteins.

View on Amazon

4 Go Healthy Nutrition & Portion Control Travel Pack for Weight Loss, Dieting and Healthy Living,...

4 Go Healthy Nutrition & Portion Control Travel Pack for Weight Loss, Microwave Safe, BPA Free (Set of 4) It can be a real challenge exercising proper portion control at the off...

View on Amazon

The Adult Portion Plate - Food

The Portion Plate for adults. 100% melamine, 9 1/2" in diameter, dishwasher safe. The Portion Plate is an interactive tool for teaching consumers appropriate food portions. Unli...

View on Amazon

Replacing NutriSystem With Your Own Foods

A helpful page with free printable charts and weight loss tools

This is another article that might help you written at one of my websites. I have tried NutriSystem, and though it is a good program, I can't eat gluten or lactose, so have to prepare my own foods.

Perhaps using a meal measure plate isn't your thing (though I love the idea) and the information I provide at my site might help.

If you want to learn more, please visit Replacing NutriSystem With Your Own Foods - A Complete Weight Loss Plan.

What about Soup and Pasta?

How do I Measure Them?

Soup is a little tricky because it is a liquid, but I love soup during the cold winter months and don't deprive myself, but use some common sense. 

After you have used the meal measure for a while, you are going to have a general idea of how much of each food group you can eat in a meal. On the occasions when you eat soup, you should be able to judge whether there is too much of any one food group. The liquids in soup do not carry as many calories as the carbohydrate rich items in the soup, and the liquid acts as a nice filler.

As for Pasta, there are tools for measuring Pasta, you'll find some in the set pictured here.

Jokarta Healthy Steps Portion Control Diet 10 Piece Kitchen Tool Set

Also available individually
Jokari Healthy Steps Portion Control Diet / Weight Loss 10pc Utensi...
Updated: 05/08/2018, happynutritionist
 
Thank you! Would you like to post a comment now?
11

Please share your questions about Meal Measure or Comments Here

Only logged-in users are allowed to comment. Login
happynutritionist on 07/22/2015

@CruiseReady I know how that is, I keep the right foods around the house, and we do the best we can, but they really have to take some responsibility. It is amazing how small portions really are when you read labels, isn't it? I wish you and your husband well.

CruiseReady on 07/20/2015

What a cool tool for anyone who is concerned with good nutrition. It could be particularly useful for us. Not only is my husband dealing with diabetes, but also CHF, so portion control is doubly important. I read labels (including portion size, sugar, and sodium content) almost fanatically, but can't seem to get him to do so.

happynutritionist on 11/01/2014

@bizilady So true, it is really a wake up call to actually take time to read what a portion size is on food packages. A tool like this is also a big wakeup call. Thanks for your visit!

Guest on 10/30/2014

Portion control is probably the hardest aspect of a reducing diet.
Most of us trying to lose weight overestimate the ideal portions and wonder why we haven't lost the lbs. I may get a set of these.

happynutritionist on 10/25/2014

@WordChazer It is a very practical idea for most meals, and there are different portion control items that will help with other meals. For example the ones that measure pasta portions, etc., before you add.

Guest on 10/23/2014

I'm going to look for one of these when I have a bit more money. I like the sound of it, for sure.

happynutritionist on 10/23/2014

@Always-Writing - lol, you have given me a chuckle too, and also shown me that there are more uses for a meal measure than just portion control! He is not the only one who does not want his food to touch while it's outside of him, no matter what happens once it gets inside :-)

Always-Writing on 10/23/2014

happynutritionist, I just had to chuckle when I read this, about the Meal Measure. My husband hates to have the different items on his plate come in contact with each other. I tried to point out to him that it is all mixed together in his stomach when he eats it. He doesn't care, as long as it is not touching on his plate. This would be a perfect way to insure that doesn't happen.

In addition, he often says I gave him too much. The Meal Measure would eliminate that problem, too. Thanks for sharing this neat idea; didn't know it existed!

happynutritionist on 09/30/2014

Yes, to either lose or maintain weight, it is a very helpful tool!

Sylvestermouse on 09/29/2014

This really does seem like a great way to measure your meal portions and aid in cutting back to lose a bit of weight.


You might also like

Finding Dairy Free Chocolate Candy for the Lactose Intolerant

Chocolate lovers like myself who are lactose intolerant need to learn how to ...

About Quinoa: How to Grow and Cook Quinoa Recipes

Quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") is seed that has become a popular side dish or...


Disclosure: This page generates income for authors based on affiliate relationships with our partners, including Amazon, Google and others.
Loading ...
Error!