Bread Plates

5 Oct, 2004 in art pottery by admin

Bread Plates

Perfect portions for classic dinners - how to divide your plate for a balanced meal

The Calories per serve of classic Australian dinners like Shepherd’s Pie has increased by around 25 percent compared with modern versions of similar recipes, according to new research by Australian dietitian and author of Portion Perfection - A visual weight control plan, Amanda Clark Adv APD.

“This shows Australia is following closely behind the USA when it comes to increasing portion sizes,” said Mrs Clark. “Recent research in the USA found the number of Calories per serving in classic recipes cooked at home has increased by nearly 40 percent in the past 70 years.”

“A Calorie increase of 25 or 40 percent per serving is sizeable because a rise of just 10 percent is enough to result in weight gain. Yet evidence suggests we wouldn’t notice if our portion sizes decreased by 20 percent so this is a painless method of weight control.”

To control portion sizes at meal time, Mrs Clark has developed a plate that shows the proper proportions of carbohydrates to proteins and vegetables.

“The Portion Perfection plate helps you get the proportions right at home and remember how much carbohydrate is right to eat when you’re out,” said Mrs Clark. “Knowing how much to eat is the key, so you can enjoy pizza, pasta and all your favourite foods in the right quantity and frequency.”

A record 73 percent of Australians will be overweight or obese in 2025, including one-third of our children and three-quarters of our adult population, according to The Preventative Health Taskforce.

“The plate addresses one of the top seven preventable risk factors responsible for one third of the burden of all disease in Australia – low fruit and vegetable intake. Eating the recommended two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables daily is important for prevention of diseases related to being overweight, like some forms of cancer,” said Mrs Clark.

“The ideal proportion for a balanced meal is ¼ carbohydrate foods to ¼ protein foods and ½ salads and low-starch vegetables. Stick to low GI carbs like pasta, sweet potato, peas, corn, basmati or doongara rice, rice noodles or grainy bread. Occasionally you can also have medium GI carbs like small potatoes, pita bread, parsnip or pumpkin.”

Amanda Clark believes most people would like to eat the right amount, if only they knew what that was. Her new book Portion Perfection reveals the out-of-control sizing of many of our favourite foods that have more than doubled in size over the past 20 years, along with our waistlines.

RESOURCES

About the Portion Perfection book, plate and bowl

Portion Perfection is a visual weight control plan that shows you exactly the right amount to eat if you want to lose or maintain weight. It includes everyday and occasional foods (such as treats like chocolate or wine) and spells out just how much to eat for various age groups. It has hundreds of pictures showing popular packaged foods, including almost every brand of yoghurt, cereal, muesli bar and crisps available in Australia, as well as common take-away foods. There’s also a Portion Perfection plate and bowl to help you serve up the right amount. All the Portion Perfection products are available at http://www.greatideas.net.au

The Plate Smash e-game shows you how many Calories you should be eating for lunch based on your gender, age and weight loss goals. You can play the game for free at http://www.portionperfection.com.au/platesmash/

About the Author

Amanda Clark is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian (AdvAPD) and author of Portion Perfection - A visual weight control plan. http://www.portionperfection.com.au

http://www.greatideas.net.au

http://www.portionperfection.com.au/platesmash/

Which type of olive oil tastes best for dipping bread into?

In Italian restaurants it is common to serve bread with oil poured onto a plate with spices added. Bread is dipped into the oil instead of using butter. Which type of oil is used? Light olive oil? Extra virgin? Some other?

When I was in Argentina last year I visited an olive farm where they pressed their own oil. They sold "unfiltered" olive oil, which (somewhat obviously) doesn't go through the process of filtering out of sediment. It had a much richer flavor than other olive oil that i've had. If you can find it I would highly recommend it.

Bread Plate Presentation