Portion It Out

Preparation, when it comes to food, is one of the best ways to save time and ensure a healthy lifestyle. I have found that buying healthy food in bulk and then portioning out single servings is both economical and time saving. I know you can purchase several foods in single serving portions but I have found those foods to either be more expensive or more processed then raw foods or some bulk foods that you can portion out yourself.

My routine following every trip to the grocery store consists of portioning out my purchases in Ziploc bags or foil in order to be prepared for the week to come. This week I portioned out sweet potato chips, grapes, pistachio nuts, trail mix and slices of the homemade banana bread I made. Other options might be berries, almonds, homemade oatmeal or veggies.

I literally measure out 1 serving of each food using a measuring cup or by counting pieces. I always look at the food labels to determine the serving size of each food prior to portioning. You might be surprised that a serving of pistachios is only 1/2 cup with shells or that the serving size of most chips is anywhere from 10-16 chips. If you are like me, you may be capable of consuming a half bag of chips in one sitting, so portioning out 1 serving is sure to limit your intake. You will likely feel just as satisfied with the single serving if you give your stomach the time to tell your brain that it is full!

I have also found that my food goes further by portioning it out. I bag of pistachios lasts us about two weeks portioned out and trail mix is the same. It's also nice to have a variety of snacks on hand so your palate doesn't get bored!

I place my portioned out food in a basket in my pantry or in the refrigerator if necessary. Throughout the week we can grab a snack to take to work or eat before we workout. We always know that we have a portable snack when we need it, and we feel good knowing that we can eat something fairly healthy while on the go.

I know you might have concerns about the amount of plastic bags we go through ... but we try to re-use the bags if we can by refilling with like items or washing out and re-using them for another need. Another option is to use re-usable bags.