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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 breadfont>

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.

The mayonnaise counts as a serving of fat.

The whole-wheat bread makes up two servings of low-glycemic whole grains.

The salad features low-glycemic vegetables.

The salad dressing adds another half-serving of fat.

This meal has an estimated glycemic load of 20 and an estimated 430 calories. The combination of low-glycemic grains, high fiber, protein, and fat helps you feel comfortably full for a longer period of time while avoiding major insulin spikes that may cause you to store fat more readily.

Sample dinner menu

Balancing your nutrients at dinner works the same way as at lunch. Following is a sample dinner menu that incorporates balance along with appropriate portion sizes:

4-ounce grilled chicken breast

2/3 cup herbed quinoa

5 spears grilled asparagus

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

In this example,

Chicken counts as a serving of protein.

Herbed quinoa is a serving of low-glycemic grains.

Asparagus and salad form three servings of low-glycemic vegetables (asparagus = 1 serving, salad = 2 servings).

Vinaigrette dressing and the oil for cooking the quinoa count as two fat servings.

This meal has an estimated glycemic load of 13 and an estimated 465 calories. Notice how this meal ups the ante on vegetables? If you ever feel like you aren't getting enough to eat, the trick is to have two different vegetables. You can eat a lot more food for a lower glycemic load and calorie level by