Portion Sizes and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

Flashcards covering Australian Guide to Healthy Eating guidelines, portion distortion, mindful eating techniques, daily serve recommendations, and hand visual cues for estimating portion sizes.

What is 'portion distortion'?

The gradual increase in food and drink portion sizes over time—including junk foods like chocolate bars, soft drinks, muffins, and sausage rolls—which leads people to consume more when larger portions are served.

According to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, what are the five core nutritious food groups that should be enjoyed every day?

1. Vegetables and legumes/beans; 2. Grain (cereal) foods (mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties); 3. Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans; 4. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives (mostly reduced fat); and 5. Fruit.

According to the Healthy Plate Guide, what proportions should vegetables, lean protein, and carbohydrates occupy on your plate?

Half ($\frac{1}{2}$) of the plate should consist of vegetables or salad, one quarter ($\frac{1}{4}$) of lean protein, and one quarter ($\frac{1}{4}$) of carbohydrate-based foods.

Under the Healthy Plate Guide, what are the recommended meal quantities for free vegetables or salad, lean protein, and carbohydrate foods?

Free vegetables or salad: ~$1\frac{1}{2}\text{ cups}$; Lean protein: ~$100\text{ to }120\,g$; Carbohydrate foods: ~$\frac{1}{2}\text{ to }1\text{ cup}$.

Why is it recommended to serve meals directly from the kitchen rather than using shared plates at the dining table?

Serving food from the kitchen discourages taking 'sneaky seconds', helping to prevent overeating.

How long should you wait after finishing a meal before deciding to serve yourself more, and why?

Wait $20\text{ minutes}$ to allow sufficient time for your stomach to signal fullness to the brain.

What two physical pacing strategies are suggested to slow down your eating speed during meals?

Putting your knife and fork down on the table between each mouthful and increasing the number of times you chew your food.

How many daily serves of vegetables and legumes/beans are recommended, and what constitutes a standard serve?

Recommended: $5\text{ to }6\text{ serves}$ per day. A standard serve equals: $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ cooked vegetables or beans/peas/lentils; $1\text{ cup}$ green leafy or raw salad vegetables; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ sweet corn; $\frac{1}{2}$ medium potato (or other starchy vegetable); or $1$ medium tomato.

How many daily serves of fruit are recommended, and what qualifies as a standard serve?

Recommended: $2\text{ serves}$ per day. A standard serve equals: $1$ medium piece (such as apple, orange, or peach); $2$ small pieces (such as nectarines, plums, or kiwi fruit); $1\text{ cup}$ diced or canned fruit with no added sugar; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ fruit juice with no added sugar (occasionally); or $30\,g$ dried fruit (occasionally).

What is the recommended daily intake for grain (cereal) foods, and what are examples of a standard serve?

Recommended: $3\text{ to }6\text{ serves}$ per day. Examples of one standard serve include: $1\text{ slice}$ ($40\,g$) bread or $\frac{1}{2}$ ($40\,g$) bread roll/flat bread; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ ($75\text{ to }120\,g$) cooked rice, pasta, noodles, or quinoa; $\frac{2}{3}\text{ cup}$ ($30\,g$) cereal flakes; $\frac{1}{4}\text{ cup}$ ($30\,g$) muesli; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ ($120\,g$) cooked porridge; $1$ ($60\,g$) crumpet; or $1$ small ($35\,g$) English muffin or scone.

What is the daily recommendation for milk, yoghurt, cheese, and alternatives, and what counts as a standard serve?

Recommended: $2\frac{1}{2}\text{ to }4\text{ serves}$ per day (mostly low-fat). A standard serve is: $1\text{ cup}$ ($250\,mL$) fresh, UHT, or reconstituted powdered milk; $1\text{ cup}$ ($250\,mL$) soy, rice, or cereal drink with added calcium; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ ($120\,mL$) evaporated milk; $2\text{ slices}$ ($40\,g$) hard cheese; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ ricotta; or $\frac{3}{4}\text{ cup}$ ($200\,g$) yoghurt.

How many serves of lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts/seeds, and legumes/beans are recommended each day, and what constitutes a standard serve?

Recommended: $2\text{ to }3\text{ serves}$ per day. A standard serve equals: $65\text{ to }100\,g$ cooked lean meat, chicken, or fish; $1\text{ cup}$ ($150\,g$) cooked or canned legumes/beans; $2$ large eggs; $30\,g$ nuts, seeds, peanut paste, or tahini; or $170\,g$ tofu.

What is the daily allowance for healthy fats and oils, and what constitutes a single serve?

Recommended: $2\text{ to }4\text{ serves}$ per day (including use in cooking). One standard serve is: $1\text{ tsp}$ oil, butter, or margarine; $2\text{ tsp}$ cream, sour cream, or mayo; $2\text{ tsp}$ peanut butter; or $\frac{1}{8}$ avocado.

What is the recommended limit for discretionary choices, and what are some examples of a single serve?

Recommended: $0\text{ to }2\text{ serves}$ per day. Examples of one serve include: $1\text{ Tbsp}$ ($20\,g$) butter; $1\text{ Tbsp}$ jam or honey; $3$ crackers (such as Jatz or Ritz) or $2\text{ to }3$ sweet biscuits (such as Nice); $\frac{1}{2}$ cupcake or $\frac{1}{3}$ large muffin; about $5\text{ to }6$ small lollies; $2$ scoops ice cream; a fun size chocolate bar or $6$ squares; $\frac{1}{3}$ commercial meat pie or pastie; $12$ hot chips; $200\,mL$ wine; $400\,mL$ regular beer; $600\,mL$ light beer; or $60\,mL$ spirits.

According to the 'Handy' portion guide, what approximate portion sizes are represented by this visual cue?

A fist represents: $1\text{ cup}$ of raw salad vegetables, $1$ piece of medium fresh fruit, $1\text{ cup}$ of diced or canned fruit, or $1\text{ cup}$ of cooked or canned legumes/beans.

According to the 'Handy' portion guide, what approximate portion sizes are represented by this visual cue?

A cupped hand represents: $1$ small piece of fruit; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ of cooked vegetables or legumes/beans; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ of cooked porridge; $\frac{1}{2}\text{ cup}$ of cooked rice, pasta, noodles, barley, buckwheat, semolina, polenta, bulgur, or quinoa; or $\frac{1}{2}$ medium potato.

According to the 'Handy' portion guide, what approximate portion sizes are represented by this visual cue?

A palm represents: $100\,g$ of raw meat or poultry, $100\,g$ of cooked fish, or $1\text{ slice}$ of bread.

In the 'Handy' portion guide, what approximate portion sizes correspond to the visual cue of an entire thumb?

An entire thumb represents: $1\text{ Tbsp}$ salad dressing, $1\text{ Tbsp}$ oil, $1\text{ Tbsp}$ peanut butter, or $20\,g$ hard cheese ($\frac{1}{2}\text{ serve}$).

In the 'Handy' portion guide, what approximate portion sizes correspond to the visual cue of the thumb tip?

A thumb tip represents: $1\text{ tsp}$ sugar, $1\text{ tsp}$ oil, $1\text{ tsp}$ margarine or butter, or $1\text{ tsp}$ mayonnaise.

What specific NEMO resource is recommended for monitoring hunger and fullness levels before and after eating?

The Hunger Level Scale.