Choosing the best portion scale doesn't have to be difficult. You simply have to assess what you want out of a portion scale and how much time you have to devote to calculating the nutritional content of your food. If you have detailed nutritional tables at your disposal and a lot of time to spend, a standard scale might be right for you. If you want to save time and calculate the nutritional content of entire meals at once, a digital scale might be your best option.
Many dieters assume that they can eyeball portion sizes, but it's often the case that eyeballing leads to the consumption of larger portion sizes. One reason for this is because consumers are used to seeing large portion sizes served to them at restaurants. This behavior carries over to the home, where consuming large portions of food becomes the norm.
The standard portion scale comes with one function: to weigh small portions of food. These scales are simple and don't offer many frills. You can use a standard kitchen scale in conjunction with a nutrition table to determine how many calories, fats and carbohydrates you're consuming. You might have to do your calculations yourself, and the work might take some time. You do have other options, however, and you can find scales that offer more complex features.
Some digital scales can take much of the time-consuming work out of calculating nutritional content. For example, certain digital scales can calculate the calorie, protein, sodium, fat, carbohydrate, cholesterol and fiber content of foods automatically; a user simply has to enter the name of the food into the scale. Digital scales also can calculate the nutritional value of entire meals for you. With results that return in grams, kilograms, ounces and pounds, this type of scale can be a smart investment for any dieter.
Consider buying a portion scale that can weigh several pounds of food. Purchasing a scale that is capable of weighing more than individual servings gives you an additional kitchen tool to use while you are cooking. A portion scale like this can double as a kitchen helper.
Your trusty portion scale can give you information about how much food you are consuming, but you also can use other tools to help you monitor food servings. Using measuring cups is a great way to keep your potions in check. Unlike scales, they won't need to be re-calibrated or have batteries changed, either. Foods such as rice, pasta, cereals, fruits and vegetables can be measured using cups, and condiment servings can be measured with spoons.