Your Best Diet Tool: A Food Scale

Start a diet often has a learning curve , especially when it comes to counting calories and measuring portion sizes . Learning a kitchen scale can help you understand it all.

If you 're on a diet , watching portions and calories . A good way to keep yourself honest is to use a kitchen scale . Why ? Because many people who normally eat portions that are much larger than the recommended amounts . A kitchen scale teaches portion control and prevents you from eating more than expected.

" Certainly promote food scales ," says Liz Weinandy , RD, MPH, a registered dietitian in the program of non-surgical weight loss at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus .

A kitchen scale can be used for any diet plan or diet that specifies a portion in grams. A national survey of more than 6,000 adults showed that people who enjoy their food were more successful at losing weight and keeping it off for those who do not.

Kitchen Scale : How does it work ?

When you start a diet, food measurement is an important part of learning the correct portions . Kitchen scales show that the party you thought four ounces can really weigh eight ounces . This is the kind of error that could derail your diet.

Weinandy stresses that kitchen scale is just one of the measurement tools you need , measuring cups and spoons are also essential food instruments. Scales of foods are best for meat, you should weigh 3 grams per serving, and cheese, 1.5 ounces per serving. Cuts are best for pasta or rice cooked - One serving equals 1/2 cup - and fruits and vegetables.

In general, you will measure your food after cooking. However, a kitchen scale can also be helpful if you prepare meals with meal plans or recipes that specify certain weight of the ingredients .

Kitchen Scale : Calculate the size of the portions Eating Well

You can take more measuring cups and scales when you eat, but it is cumbersome for the trip. Weinandy prefer teaching on comparisons visual system that can help guide your recognition of the size of the portions on your plate.

For example, a portion of meat the size of a deck of cards, and a serving of pasta should fit in the palm of your hand.

" I focus on the [Images] because people can see when they are away from home ," says Weinandy .

If you frequently use a food scale at home, which gradually become accustomed to the appearance of the correct size portions. The data show that exposure to the correct help people make better choices in the areas of catering, as portions.

Kitchen scales : choose the best

Scales of dishes ranging from small plastic cup on a plastic base with small-scale measures weight and old metal expensive digital scales , programmable that can give you complete nutritional information per serving. The best kitchen scale for you:

It is within your budget
He figures that can be easily read
Take a cup or bowl large enough to hold the food you need to weigh
It is easy to clean and store
"What I see is that people will buy , and then ends up in the closet," said Weinandy . " Normally , I recommend that one of the cheapest forms . Not that you measure your food for a certain kind of experience. "

If you find that the extent of the food you like, you can switch to a more expensive model . " Some people like to be really accurate with a kitchen scale ," she said.

Using a food scale , although eventually stop using it can help you learn about the right portions , so it is a good investment in your weight loss and weight management plan for the long term.