Diet Information

Food Portion Control Scales

June 22, 2009
By J White

Consuming large food portions is a key cause of being overweight or obese. To keep food portions in check, it is beneficial to use a food portion control scale to measure out the amount of food to eat.

For those unfamiliar with a food portion control scale, it is a device that is used for weighing your food. These devices can provide and accurate accounting of how much food you are about to eat.

The simplest scale versions are analog, which consists of a dial that points to the weight of the food you are weighing.

More advanced scale versions are digital. These versions can not only give you the weight, but some include in their programming a database of selected food item characteristics, which allows the scale to calculate the calories of the weighed food item, as well as its weight.

Using Food Portion Control Scales

To measure out a portion size, you can just place each food item on the scale and read out the result. However, when using a digital scale, the device has features that opens up more options for your use.

For instance, there is a button on digital scales that allow you to zero out the weight. That means if you place a cup on the scale, you can reset it to read zero as if the cup was not on top. By doing this you can place food in containers and not directly on the scale. This way you do not have to concern yourself with having to transfer the measured item to another container.

This function is also a time saver when it comes to fixing a meal. Simply place your plate or plastic container on the scale and then zero it out. Next, one by one, start adding your food items, measuring then zeroing out between each addition.

For instance, if your meal was to consist of chicken, peas, and rice, you could first add the your required serving size of chicken. After that amount is to your desired serving size, zero out the scale. Next, repeat the procedure using the peas, then the rice.

By using the scale in this manner you do not have to constantly place and remove items from the scale. This makes calorie counting more convenient and plus it saves you time.

In short, to stop exceeding recommended serving sizes, use food portion control scales. They provide accurate measurements on the amount of food placed on its measuring surface. Plus, digital control scales provide a handy zeroing-out option that allows for more faster and convenient measuring.

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