On the left-hand side, food and fitness blogger Amanda Meixner has made a bowl with:
- 1 cup 2% Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp honey
- 20g 85% dark chocolate
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup strawberries
- 1/2 Tbsp cashew butter
On the right-hand side, she's opted for:
- 1 cup 2% Greek yoghurt
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 60g 85% dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup strawberries
- 2 1/2 tbsp cashew butter
You don't have to be a nutritionist to know that portion sizes make a huge difference in calorie counts, but knowing that and seeing it are two different things.
Amanda, a.k.a. meowmeix on Instagram, puts out a constant stream of intel on healthy eating that's especially if you're trying to lose weight.
In one recent post, for example, she looks at how the portions of a few healthy foods—avocado toast, scrambled eggs, apples, and peanut butter—make such a huge difference:
And one more just for fun:
As Amanda kinda points out via her pretty IG posts, it's easy to overdo it on portion sizes. And it's not your fault if you're bad at eyeballing it: The average American muffin is a whopping more than three times bigger than the USDA recommends, and a typical pasta serving is nearly five times bigger than the recommended amount, according to a 2015 paper.
If you're trying to lose weight, those larger-than-you-realise portions can derail your efforts, as Julie Upton, R.D., co-founder of Appetite for Health, has told Women's Health in the past.
Granted, you don't have to obsess over calorie counts to keep your portion sizes in check—even if you want to lose weight—as Warren previously explained: “I always focus on quality of foods first, and only after that, I match the quantity to take into account a person’s caloric needs for the day.”
One simple way to improve your diet without having to add up every single cal is to pile veggies on your plate until its half full, Keri Gans, R.D. and author of The Small Change Diet, previously told Women's Health. They take up space on the plate, which makes you feel more satisfied with your meal—and they ensure you don't have too much room left for other, more calorie-dense (and less nutritious) options.
Or, you know, just keep following Amanda for more gorgeous healthy inspo.
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health US.