Portion Control

Portion size is just as important as eating healthy. Below is a simple list of Portion sizes.
I would suggest getting a small kitchen scale. Something that I like to do is to put my food, after weighing, in a container that’s big enough for the specific food, this way I know which containers hold the exact amount of food I want without weighing it every time.

This is what my kitchen counter looks like on a Sunday afternoon, prepping as much meals in advance  for the next week.  Yes I even pack my almonds in individual packs of 12!

For weight loss your formula per day would look like this:

5 (Female) / 8 (Male)  x Complex Carbohydrates

2 1/2 (Female) / 4 (Male) x Protein

2  (Female) /2 (Male) x Milk

2 (Female) / 3 (Male) x Fat

At this moment I’m following a higher protein diet from Bodybuilding.com (because one of these damn days I’m gonna look like Jamie Eason! ) I still use the list below as a guide for my portion sizes.

Complex Carbohydrates

Each of the products below equals to 1  portion of Carbohydrates.

Bread – 1 slice

Bread rolls – 1/2

Pita bread – 1/2

Wrap – 1

Cereals

All bran flakes – 30g (1/2 cup)

Bulgar wheat, cooked - 20g (2 tbsp) raw / 90g cooked

Corn flakes - 20g (3/4 cup)

High fibre bran – 30g (1/2 cup)

Instant oats – 20g (1/2 sachet)

Maize meal porridge – 20g (2 tbsp) raw / 90g stiff porridge cooked / 150g soft porridge cooked (1/2 cup)

Weetbix - 20g (1 biscuit)

Oat bran, cooked – 120g cooked / 20g (3 tbsp) raw

Oats, cooked – 110g (1/2cup) / 20g (4 tbsp) raw

Pronutro – 20 g raw / (1/4 cup) 4 tbsp

Special K – 20 g (3/4 cup)

Crackers

Cream crackers – 2

Fin Crisp – 3 fin crisp bread

Fin Crisp Original Rye – 2 roundels

Fin Crisp Sesame (round) – 3 roundels

Provita - 20g (3)

Rice cakes – 20g (2)

Ryvita - 20g (2)

Snackbread - 20g (2)

Flours

Breadcrumbs dry – 20g (2 tbsp)

Brown flour – 20g (2 tbsp)

Cake / self-raising flour – 20g (2 tbsp)

Potato flour – 20g (2 tbsp)

Rice flour , brown – 20g (2 tbsp)

Rye flour – 20g (2 tbsp)

Semolina (corn flour) – 20g (2 tbsp)

Soya flour – 20 g (2 tbsp)

Wheat germ, toasted – 20 g (4 tbsp)

whole-wheat flour – 20 g (2 tbsp)

Pasta, rice and grains

Barley – 20g raw

Couscous - 20g raw (2 tbsps) / 90g cooked (1/3 cup)

Egg noodles – 20g raw ( 1/2 handful) / 70g cooked

Pasta, all types – 20g raw / 50g cooked (1/2 cup)

Pearl barley – 20 g raw (2 tbsp) / 50g cooked (1/3 cup)

Polenta – 20g raw (2 tbsp)/ 70g cooked

Quinoa – 20g raw (2 tbsp) / 60g cooked

Rice, Basmati - 20g raw (2 tbsp) / 70g cooked

Rice, Brown – 20g raw / 70g cooked

Rice, Jasmine – 20g raw / 70g cooked

Rice, long grain/wild – 20 g raw / 70g cooked

Rice, risotto – 20g raw / 70g cooked

Samp – 20g cooked (2 tbsp) / 70g cooked ( 1/3 cup)

Sweetcorn, cream style – 100g canned

Wheat rice – 25g raw (2 tbsp) / 70g cooked (1/3 cup)

whole-wheat pasta – 20 g raw / 50g cooked (1/3 cup)

Starchy Vegetables

Maize, fresh, frozen,whole kernels – 100g (1/2 cup)

Mixed vegetables, carrots, peas, corn – 100g (1/2 cup)

New, small or baby potato boiled with skin – 100g

Potato mashed – 80g

Potato with skin – 100g raw / 80g cooked (1 medium potato)

Sweet potato, raw, baked, broiled – 80g ( 3 level tbsp mashed)

Other carbohydrates

Phylo pastry – 1 sheet

Rice milk – 125 ml (1/2 cup)

Rice milk powder – 20g

Vegetables

Weights below given for vegetables is a 100g or roughly 1/2 cup. at least 100g should be eaten to count as 1 portion. Free vegetables are unlimited vegetables and can quantities can be consumed as you wish.

Recommended vegetable and fruit servings is 5 portions per day.

Artichokes – 100g

Asparagus – 100g

Aubergine / Eggplant – 100g

Baby corn – 100g

Baby marrow / Zucchini – 100g

Bamboo shoots – 100g

Beetroot, cooked – 100g

brocoli - 100g

Brussel sprouts – 100g

Butternut – 100g

cabbage free

Carrots – 100g

Cauliflower – free

Celery – free

Cucumber – free

Fennel – 100g

Gem Squash – 100g

Green beans – 100g

Hubbard squash – 100g

Leeks – 100g

Lettuce – free

mange tout, snap peas, snow peas – 100g

Mushrooms – free

Onions, all kinds – 100g

Patty pans – 100g

Peas, green fresh/frozen – 70g

Peppers , green, yellow,red – free

Pumpkin – free

Spinach – 100g

Sprouts, split peas, lentils, soya beans – 40g

Tomato, all kinds – 100g

Tomato juice/cocktail – 200 ml

Tomato paste – 40g

Tomato puree’ – 60g

Tomato sun-dried - 10g

Vegetable juice, all types – 125ml (1/2 cup)

Fruit

Apple – 100g (1 small)

Apple sauce, canned, unsweetened – 120g (1/2 cup)

Apricot – 100g

Banana – 70g

Blueberry/Blackberry – 120g (small bowl)

Cantelope - 120g

Cherries – 90g (17 regular)

Dates (fresh, raw) – 40g (4)

Dried Fruit – 20g

Fig, fresh – 80g

Fresh Fruit salad – 120g (1/2 small bowl)

Fruit, canned in fruit juice – 70g drained, 120g undrained (3 tbsp /1/4 regular tin)

Fruit, canned in water – 90g drained, 150g undrained (3 tbsp / 1/4 regular tin)

Fruit juice, all flavors – 125 ml (1/2 cup)

Gooseberry – 100g (small bowl)

Granadilla, peeled – 60g (2 large)

Grapes – 90g (12 medium, 1/2 cup)

Grapefruit – 150g (half)

Guava – 90g (1 small)

Kiwi – 90 g (1 large/6 rings)

Lemon – 120g (2 medium)

Lime – 120g (1 large)

Litchi - 80g (9 medium)

Mango, peeled – 90g (1 small)

Naartjie, peeled – 120g

Nectarine – 120g (1 medium)

Orange, peeled – 120g ( 1 small, 6 segments)

Paw-paw – 120g

peach – 120g (1 medium)

Pear – 100g (1 small)

Plum – 100g ( 2 medium)

Prunes, dried, stewed – 50g (3)

Prune juice – 85ml (1/3 cup)

Raisins/sultanas – 20g (2 tbsp)

Rhubarb, with sugar – 70g cooked

Spanspek - 120g

Strawberry – 150g (15 regular)

Sweetmelon - 120g

Tangerine – 120g ( 2 large)

Watermelon – 150g

Protein

Baked beans in tomato sauce – 130g

Broad beans – 70g

Dried Beans, harricot,sugar, kidney,jugo,butter – 40g raw (2 tbsp) / 100g cooked (1/2 cup)

Dry dhana dal – 30g raw (2 tbsp) / 75g cooked (1/3 cup)

Dried Chickpeas – 30g raw (3 1/2 tbsp) / 100g cooked (1/2cup)

Soy milk – 250ml

Soya mince – 35g (4tbsp) / 130g cooked (1/2 cup)

Fish

Salmon – 70g raw / 60g cooked

Calamari, not fried – 125g raw / 125g cooked

Crab, cooked/raw/canned – 150g raw / 100g cooked

Crab sticks – 100g cooked / 125g raw

Haddock – 120g raw / 100g cooked

Hake, Kingklip, Sole, Tuna, Cod – 140g raw / 120g cooked

Kipper – 75g raw / 65g cooked

Lobster/Crayfish – 90g cooked

Mussels – 100g

Oysters – 200g

Pilchards – 100g

Sardines – 80g raw / 75g cooked

Snails – 100g

Tuna, canned in brine, drained – 120g (1 can)

Sushi

Nigiri/California rolls (fish) – 6 pieces = 2 x Carbs + 1 protein

California roll with avo and fish – 6 pieces = 2 carbs + 1 protein + 1 fat

Fish Maki – 8 pieces = 2 carbs + 1 protein

Fish and avo maki – 8 pieces = 2 carbs + 1 fat

Sashimi – 5 pieces = 1 protein

Eggs

Egg white – 120g

Whole egg, chicken – 55g (1 egg)

Meat & Poultry

Beef, corned, brisket, chuck, rib prime, wing, flank – 70g raw / 50g cooked

Beef fillet – 90g raw / 70g cooked

Beef lean mince – 60g raw, 50g cooked

Beef liver – 80g raw / 70g cooked

Biltong, beef, game, ostrich – 40g

Chicken, dark meat no skin, no bone – 90g raw / 70g cooked

Chicken, light meat, no skin, no bone – 100g raw / 90g cooked

Chicken livers , cooked – 75g

Ham – 90 g (5 slices)

Mutton, lean – 50 g cooked

Ostrich – 120g raw / 100g cooked

Pork – 60g raw / 50g cooked

Prawns, shrimp – 145g raw / 120g cooked

Turkey – 70g cooked

Venison – 90g cooked

Cheese and Milk

Cheese – 30g (1 matchbox size)

Cheese spread/Wedges – 40g (2 tbsp)

Cottage cheese, low fat - 90g (5 tbsp)

Feta Cheese – 30g (2 cubes)

Milk, skimmed – 250 ml

Ricotta cheese – 50g

Yogurt – 175ml / 175g (3/4 cup)

Milk

Buttermilk – 125ml (1/2 cup)

Custard – 125 ml (1/2 cup)

Custard powder – 20g

Evaporated milk – 100ml

Ice cream – 100 ml

Fats

Avocado – 20g (1/8 medium)

Butter – 5 ml (1 tsp)

Canola oil – 5 ml (1 tsp)

Cocoa Powder – 5g (1 tsp)

Coconut milk- 80 ml

Cream, fresh – 15g (4 tsp)

Ghee – 5 ml (1 tsp)

Low fat spread – 10 ml ( 2 tsp)

Low oil dressing – 30 ml (2 tsp)

Margarine – 5 ml ( 1 tsp)

Nuts – 10 g

Olive oil – 5 ml

Olives – 45g ( 8 medium)

Peanut butter – 10ml ( 2 tsp)

Sour cream – 25g (2 tbsp)

Sunflower oil – 5 ml (1 tsp)

Tahini - 10g (2 tsp)