Portion Control

I am always looking for easy ways to control our portions at the dinner table. Genetic and familial tendencies curse my family on the side of weight gain. I want the battle to be simplified for my kiddos and for myself, so I'm always looking for ideas to curb our appetites.

- often I will sit out a bowl of carrots, broccoli, diced apples or other veggies or fruits to sit on the bar while I'm fixing dinner. The aromas of dinner always lure my children in begging me for snacks. Snack away as I motion to the fruits and veggies. Keep bowls of these in the fridge so they are always handy. My friend, Lisa, keeps a divided Tupperware container in her fridge and she sets it out before dinner each evening.

- mix stuff up. This occasionally works with my kids who are somewhat finicky about casseroles. You can put a lot more of good stuff and go lean on the meat when you saute or bake your foods together. Juelye, a friend and mom of two, dices zucchini, beef and corn mixes and spoons in a tortilla, instead of a big wallop of just say taco meat and cheese.

-slice up differently. When I cook hot dogs, which my son loves, I often slice them lengthwise and put one half a hot dog inside a bun. They rarely notice a difference and then I don't feel so bad when they want two! You can do the same thing with a hamburger patty. Slice it lengthwise instead of into halves. It gives the appearance of a full burger but with half the meat. These tricks work well for me two. It's always hard to decide if you want the hamburger OR the hot dog, now you could have both.

-juices and drinks can be hidden calorie caverns: freeze juice in an ice tray then add a few cubes to a glass of water for a splash of flavor and not all the calories. Instead of mixing a tall pitcher of pink lemonade, the kids will mix in a teaspoon of dry mix to a glass of water. This cuts way back on the sugar. It's OK, as well, to only offer water. There are no known nutritional requirements for juice, but there are for water. I will let them have pop when we go to a restaurant but usually with only refills of water. A fun thing to let them do as well, is to get water with lemon, then let them squeeze the lemon in their water, and add one packet of sugar. It's like homemade lemonade right at the table. One packet of sugar compared to the ten teaspoons of sugar in a soda is a smart choice and can be fun for the kids to "mix" their own drink.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other tips for conscientious eating!