Cook Yourself Thin Book

With recession fears meaning more of us are cooking at home, this could have health benefits compared with calorie-dense takeaway and restaurant meals. But the number of calories per serving in classic recipes cooked at home has increased by nearly 40 percent in the past 70 years. This is the finding of a recent study that reveals the trend of growing portion sizes in numerous cookbooks.

We are so used to eating ever-increasing quantities of food that we haven’t noticed how many extra calories we are overloading on our plates, according to dietitian and author of Portion Perfection – A visual weight control plan Amanda Clark Adv APD.

“A calorie increase of 40 percent per serving is sizeable because a rise of just 10 percent is enough to result in weight gain,” said Australian dietitian Amanda Clark. The author has developed a new e-game called Plate Smash as a visual tool to show adults and teenagers how much is right to eat for lunch.

“I believe most people would like to eat the right amount, if only they knew what that was. The Plate Smash game makes you stop and think about how many calories you are putting on your plate for one meal,” said Mrs Clark.

The game was also designed for parents who want to learn the right quantities of various foods their active or inactive teenagers devour for lunch, including pizza, sushi, sandwiches, meat pies, French fries and chicken nuggets.

“If parents and teens know their calorie limits, this could help prevent and manage rising obesity in young people,” said Mrs Clark.

“Latest research shows the best way to lose weight is to eat what you want and get into the habit of limiting your portion sizes. Reduced-calorie diets result in meaningful weight loss if you stick with them, regardless of whether they are low-fat, low-carb or high-protein.”

“If you focus on eating the perfect portions, you can eat the foods you like including the occasional treats,” said Mrs Clark. “This means you won’t feel deprived and can stick to a healthy way of eating for life.”

Amanda’s book Portion Perfection features hundreds of photographs of popular foods and drinks to graphically show how much is right to eat for adults, teens and children.