Portion Control with Meal Measure and Meal Measuring Dishes

No, the plate pictured does not come with the Meal Measure...but that isn't a problem, here's why.

You can use the Meal Measure with any standard sized dinner plate, which is what you want to do anyway. Why? Because you want your eating experience to be familiar, what you are used to....but with the right portions of food. By doing this you are only changing one habit...the quantity of food you are eating, all the rest is comfortably the same.

Also, when you are eating at the table with family, your plate will look like every other plate on the table, you will just have better control of your portions...unless of course you are sharing the Meal Measure with other family members and working on portion control as a team!

It's very easy. Each section of the Meal Measure is labeled. It almost reminds me of the new portioned plate image that replaces the food pyramid which was introduced in June 2011 by Michelle Obama and is pictured here. You will find a section for vegetables or fruit, for protein, and for starchy foods which are usually your carbohydrates...like potatoes, rice and pasta.

Each cavity equals 1 cup, and if your diet only calls for 1/2 a cup, no problem, there is a line marking 1/2 a cup inside each cavity.

Using it is as simple as can be, just put it on your plate, put the appropriate foods into the appropriate sections, remove the Meal Measure, and spread the food out so it looks like your plate has more in it - this helps you mentally when you're eating for weight loss, believe me!

Now it's time to enjoy your meal...eat slowly and savor each bite.

Tip: Remember that certain foods are so extremely low in calories that you can fill the "emptiness" on your plate with them, this would include salad greens and other salad items like cucumbers, green peppers and tomatoes - any similar vegetable that does not contain a high carbohydrate content. Your Salad Dressing could be the problem here, I solve that by sprinkling with a little Balsamic Vinegar, or using no more than 2 T. of Fat Free salad dressing.

Image Credit plus more information about choosemyplate.gov

Note: Meal Measure is TOP RACK Dishwasher Safe AND follows the USDA Food Pyramid.

To get just a little personal, my husband, who just happened to see a Meal Measure on Dr. Oz for the first time, is a diabetic. He has been for many years. Weight loss has been a constant battle for him, and if there isn't some way to control meal portions, or to be accountable, it is a losing battle. He needs to control the kinds of foods he eats as well...we have been through a few heart procedures that are real wake-up calls.

I am not extremely overweight, but struggle to keep an extra 20-30 lbs. of extra weight off.

We have tried more than a few weight loss programs, and they work for a time, but as soon as they are finished, they are finished...and the weight comes back on. In fact, it seems like each time it comes back on, there is more of it.

So this simple weight control tool seems like the perfect solution for us. I can cook just like I always do, and we can use the Meal Measure to portion our foods.

In time, I'm hoping that we will not have to keep track of our meals on paper, or on the computer, the tools we use to input every meal we eat each day and get a report on how we are doing. I am counting on the Meal Measure to make life a lot easier and eating a lot more enjoyable.