Why Portion Control Is the Wrong Goal for Smart Eating
Another objective will make a far greater difference.
One goal I encourage for all my clients is to feel deeply satisfied after each meal. I am a nutritionist, so that may seem surprising — aren’t I supposed to enforce meager portions? Not exactly. It turns out that being satisfied after each meal helps ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs and helps you avoid reaching for unhealthy foods when you get too hungry later.
Whether you’re trying to manage your weight or autoimmunity or improve your cardiometabolic parameters (in the unlucky case that heart disease and metabolic dysfunction have joined forces to kill you), listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues and eating until you’re satisfied, happy, and relaxed after each meal is your aim. In fact, this is the new “healthy eating.”
Of course, there are a few caveats, which I will address here.
Eat real foods
If you roll your eyes at this one, I’m sorry, but we’re sticking with it. There are certain truths in nutrition that the professionals can all agree on, and this is one of them — maybe the only one. You must eat real foods.
Meats, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, fruits and their fats, vegetables of all shapes…
