At a barbecue, it’s very easy to overeat. Food is served continuously throughout the day, and even if the portions are small, they can add up. When we are distracted mingling with friends and family, we may ‘mindlessly eat’, which means we may eat simply because food is being served rather than because we are hungry. In fact, our bodies have a way of letting us know when we are hungry and when we are full, these are known as ‘hunger cues.’ At a barbecue, we may not listen to these cues and can end up overeating or failing to eat a balanced meal.
There is one simple way to prevent this and that's with the healthy plate method.
The healthy plate method:
- Fill half of your plate with a variety of vegetables
- Fill one-fourth of your plate with protein (keeping in mind that one serving is about 4 ounces)
- Fill one-fourth of your plate with whole grains or starchy vegetables (brown rice, whole grain bun, sweet potato, potato salad, corn, etc.)