For most people, portion control can seem a bit tricky. However, portion control is vital to eating healthier and losing weight. Earlier, Elijah McClain had pointed out that mindlessly piling the plate can lead to the consumption of more calories and eventually cause weight gain.

Portion control does not mean that one has to weigh and measure every bite they eat. There are many practical tips that can help people to get a better handle on their portions. 

Here are a few of those tips:

• Understand serving sizes: A serving size is what is listed on a package, and a portion size is what one decides to put on their plate. Going by the serving size on the package would help people to get a more realistic idea of what a healthy food portion would be.
• Give measuring cups a go: Using measuring cups can help in gauging the right amount to eat. One does not need to buy special cups to measure their food. They can simply use any teacups, mugs or containers at home that work well for them.
• Measure once: One doesn’t have to carry a kitchen scale and measuring cup all the time while preparing meals. However, it does help to measure servings once or twice, so that one can see the proper amount and remember it. Learning where a cup of cereal falls in a bowl or what exactly 2 ounces of pasta looks like can be of a huge help. After all, more often than not, people end up eating more than what they think.
• Downsize the dishes: A tried-and-true trick for portion control is to use small dishes. A standard-sized portion will look small on a larger plate, and can make a person feel dissatisfied. Using a smaller plate can help prevent overloading. Switching dinner plates to salad plates can help people to eat smaller portions. One should also try to use a smaller spoon for ice cream, use chopsticks for noodles to take smaller, slower bites, and so on, to avoid overeating.

• Make mini versions of favorite foods: Baking savoury quinoa cakes or lasagnas in a muffin tin is a good way to control portions. By doing so, one can make sure that their foods come out in perfect single serve portions. Individual ramekins or mini loaf pans can also provide the same result for casserole or meatloaf.
• Avoid doubling carbohydrates:  If one already has consumed some type of starchy carbohydrate with their meal, it is better to avoid eating bread along with it.
• Be selective with seconds: It would be a good idea to finish a meal with a fruit instead of a chocolate cake. An apple would help in feeling more full than just eating a couple of squares of chocolate, but both contains similar amounts of calories.

In addition to following the pointers mentioned above, one should also try to avoid eating out of the bag for better portion control. Earlier, Elijah McClain had mentioned how instead of eating a bag full of pretzels, it is better to take a small handful onto a plate or a small sandwich bag, and eat it from there.