Importance of Portion Control

Background

Ready-prepared meals, and particularly frozen meals, are becoming more popular as Australians continue to seek healthy and convenient food choices to fit in with their busy lifestyles. In recent years, frozen meals have become more affordable and are higher in quality, adding to their growth in popularity. However, as levels of obesity rise in Australia, ready-prepared meals are now filling another need, that of portion control. With almost 60% of Australian adults over the age of 25 being overweight or obese, there is an ever-growing need for tasty, satisfying meals that are lower in kilojoules, as well as being nutritious. McCain Healthy Choice meals provide a solution to these needs by being portion controlled as well as providing a variety of foods from the core food groups as recommended in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, click here.

Portion size and weight management

The portion size of a meal can have a significant affect on a person’s daily energy intake, making it an important aspect to consider for weight management. Research has shown that using portion-controlled meals, such as those in the McCain Healthy Choice range to assist with weight management is more effective than using self selected diets. Reductions in portion size as well as eating fewer high kilojoule foods can help to control energy intake while also managing hunger, and this in turn can help with weight management.

Trends

The US Grocery Manufacturers Association has recently recommended that improvements to labelling on packaged foods and beverages, such as portion size standards, are important if people are to be given the information they need to make informed decisions about the foods they eat. International research shows that people are interested in cutting down on the amount of food they eat, with 69% thinking that it is healthier to consume smaller meals. McCain Healthy Choice meals can therefore play an important role in assisting people to manage the serving size of the food they eat.