The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (45 page)

Many dinner plates nowadays are huge. In fact, they're really more like platters. My dinner plates don't even fit into a standard-size cupboard anymore, and I even have to lean them forward in my dishwasher. If you have the same situation with your dinner plates, don't strictly follow the plate method because you can all too easily pack a lot of food on those enormous plates. Instead, try measuring out the appropriate portion sizes of different foods to see what a portion of each food group looks like on your size of plates. After you have a rough idea, you can estimate from there on out.

If the portion sizes on your big plates look very small and make you feel like you're depriving yourself with dieting, try using the plate method with your smaller salad or dessert plates. Because of their smaller size, they'll look like they're chock-full of food even though they're holding the same amount as the larger plates did. If you have an old set of china, you can also try using one of the dinner plates from that set because the plate size is more normal than today's monster plates.

With that in mind, it's time to see the plate method in action! Tables 9-2, 9-3, and 9-4 demonstrate how to use the plate method with three classic meal options.

Everything at restaurants is bigger, even something as simple as a sandwich, which is why the calorie level is so high for restaurant meals. Have that to-go box ready to help you portion your meal to a more realistic size. (Flip to Chapter 11 for some additional guidelines for dining out.)

Putting it all together with sample menus

Using the plate method to balance your nutrient intake and eating the right portion sizes are guaranteed to make a big difference in your weight-loss efforts. The following sections offer sample breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus that illustrate all of these strategies put together.

Sample breakfast menu

Start the day off right with a balanced, filling breakfast (and yes, I mean more than just coffee in a to-go cup). Here's a simple on-the-go breakfast menu you can readily enjoy:

Peanut-Butter Monkey Smoothie (1 cup milk, one frozen banana, 1 tablespoon reduced-fat peanut butter)

1 slice whole-grain bread
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In this example,

The milk provides a nice balance of a low-glycemic carbohydrate with a moderate amount of protein.

The banana provides low-glycemic carbohydrates and one full serving of fruit.

The peanut butter serves as a fat source and a source of protein.

The whole-grain bread is a low-glycemic starch.

This meal has an estimated glycemic load of 25 and an estimated 367 calories. Even though it doesn't go on a plate, it fits the plate method presented earlier in this chapter because it provides a nice balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Sample lunch menu

This sample lunch menu illustrates how easy it is to eat a balanced yet tasty lunch:

Tuna sandwich (two slices whole-wheat bread, 3 ounces tuna, 1 teaspoon mayonnaise)

Side salad (2 cups mixed greens, five cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon lowfat vinaigrette salad dressing)

In this example,

The tuna counts as a serving of protein.