The Portion Control Plate: Yay or Nay?

At first glance, these sectioned plates may look a lot like baby bumper plates - and that’s because they are exactly like baby bumper plates. Portion control plates have been proven to help people in their quest for a leaner body. The reason is simple: They take the guesswork out of portion control by giving you a clear visual of exactly how much lean protein, starch and vegetable you should be eating. The plates are also generally a little smaller than regular dinner plates. We all think we understand portions - and in theory, most of us do - but when meal time comes it’s easy to overdo it. While using this infant-inspired dishware may make you feel silly, you may want to check your ego at the door. Baby bumper plates are designed to help parents portion control their child’s meals to ensure optimal nutrition and health, so if you’re having trouble controlling your portions, it may be time to baby yourself a bit - just until you understand exactly what a balanced meal looks like. Study after study shows conclusively that people who use these plates lost significantly more weight than the people who don’t. Of course, not everyone needs the visual aid, so just remember these simple fractions: Vegetables should take up ½ your plate, lean protein ¼, and starch ¼. No cheating.