Have you ever realized that you are binging on your favorite dishes and you only stop when there is no room left in your tummy? With our rich and flavorful cuisine, it’s easy to do just that here in India. This poses a lot of difficulty, especially to someone who needs to watch their diabetes. But don’t worry; a few smart portion control tips will allow you to enjoy your meals while keeping health in check. You can also look for a diabetes control program to manage your diabetes better.
- Ordered Eating Matters: Start with a salad, then proteins, and finish with carbs. This order controls hunger and prevents blood sugar spikes. Vegetables help you feel full sooner, proteins give sustained energy, and carbs give immediate energy. By eating in this sequence, you manage hunger better and avoid overeating carbs.
- Pre-meal Supplements: Fiber or protein supplements before meals control sweet cravings and stabilize blood sugar. When Isabgol (psyllium husk) is taken in water or a protein shake about 30 minutes before consuming food, it slows down the absorption of sugar. This simple step goes a long way in controlling the sugar levels in the blood while reducing the energy crashes that result in urges for unhealthy snacks.
- Smaller Plates, Bigger Satisfaction: Using smaller plates tricks your brain into feeling full with a smaller amount of food. People eat less when their food is served on smaller plates because the portions seem bigger.
- Start with a Salad: A salad loaded with fiber helps you to take in fewer calories before the actual meal. Salads full of vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes are low in calories but high in volume. The fiber in vegetables delays the process of digestion, which helps you to feel full on less food and limits the amount you consume with your main course.
- Pre-Meal Fluids: Desi drinks, for example, chass or soup before meals, actually make you feel full so you eat less at the main meal. These fluids fill up a lot of space in your stomach without many calories. For instance, a bowl of clear soup or a glass of buttermilk can be a healthy, low-calorie way to start a meal.
- Choose Smaller Sizes: Opt for smaller portions of your favorite high-calorie dishes. For example, a sada dosa is far fewer in calories than a larger paper dosa. This should be followed by all other foodstuffs, such as taking a small sandwich or a fulka instead of a huge chapati.
- Avoid Unlimited Buffets: Choosing single dishes could help control portions and prevent overeating at buffets. Buffets are temptingly bad and therefore result in overeating. You can control the portions better and avoid the temptation to try everything that comes your way by choosing single dishes.
- Watch for Combo Offers: This usually results in eating more than you need. Just be mindful of what is being offered and get what you need. Typical fast food combos include fatty foods, such as French fries and a sugar-sweetened drink. Rather than accepting these offers, choose single items that contain foods with all the nutrition you require without all the trimmings.
- Put your snack on a plate: When you put snacks on a plate, you can see what you are eating rather than dipping into a package mindlessly. You will eat more than you expect if you eat from the package. When you plate your snack, you can be able to control and see the serving size you are consuming.