Portion Control with Meal Measure and Meal Measuring Dishes

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

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!

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

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.

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.