This makes a lot of sense. Taking a photo would give the participants a moment to ponder their food choices as well as portion size. And of course, it would be far more effective if you have to show that photograph to someone else.
Most of us don't measure our food, we just put it on the plate and we may not be entirely honest with ourselves about amount we eat. A dietician or nutritionist could easily deconstruct a photo of your plate to determine if your ratio of meat to vegetables is reasonable, if you've covered all the food groups and most importantly, see what your actual portion sizes are.
Most of us overeat and doctors have warned for years of the health effects of obesity. Now with food shortages looming around the world resulting in increased food costs, we may be looking at our wallets as well as our waistlines.
But what, exactly, is enough to eat? To determine that, you first have to understand the terminology. A serving size is the standardised way of measuring food. The measurement is based on energy and nutritional needs. A portion is simply the amount you eat.
For instance, 120ml of juice is one serving. If you drink 240ml of juice you have just had two servings of fruit in one portion. According to the Food Guide if you are a female between the ages of 19 and 50 you require 7 to 8 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. That 240ml glass of orange juice at breakfast has just given you a quarter of your daily requirement of fruits and vegetables.
So let's take a look at dinner and build of plate of what you should be eating. Let's start with the protein. Most people decide what meat they want to eat and then build their meal around that. That's fine, but bear in mind that the meat should always be the smallest thing on your plate.
Dietitians have figured out all kinds of mnemonics to help people visualise what the portion size should be. With meat, think of a portion which is no larger than a deck of cards. 85 grams of lean meat (or chicken or fish) is one serving. Now add some rice to your plate, but no more than half a cup cooked, about the size of a tennis ball, which is also one serving.
Now add the vegetables which should take up half of your plate. A half a cup of any vegetable is one serving, now add one cup of leafy green salad. If you like bread with your meal, have only one slice, or one roll for a serving of grains. If you want dessert, have three quarters of a cup of yogurt and that is your serving of milk or milk alternatives.
That meal translates into one serving of meat, two serving of grains, one serving of milk or alternatives and two servings of vegetables. Take a look at your average meal and see how much of your daily requirement is met by this meal.
If you are having a vegetarian meal, half a cup of cooked pasta is in order, not an entire plate of spaghetti. A single serving of tofu is three quarters of a cup; the same as for legumes such as chickpeas or beans.
Bear in mind that this is not considering the kilojoule count of any sauces you may put on any of these things nor the fat content, this is simply addressing portion size.
This may seem like an absurdly small amount of food, depending on how much you eat now, but it really isn't. If you are currently eating two or even three times that amount, cut back gradually until you reach the target portion sizes. Use a smaller plate rather than a full size dinner plate and your eyes and brain will be in collusion making you think you are eating more than you are.