Tiny portions ‘may not be necessary to lose weight’

People hoping to lose weight over the coming months may already be resigned to mealtimes involving tiny portions.

However, this need not be the case, according to British Nutrition Foundation nutrition scientist Aine O’Connor.

She explained in an article for the Express that slimming is more about the energy density of the food you consume than how much of it you eat.

“For example, taking a standard spaghetti bolognese recipe and reducing the meat content, using half-fat cheese and adding plenty of vegetables can reduce the energy density by half,” she suggested.

Ms O’Connor recommended trying to cut out around 500 calories a day in order to achieve the best results with your diet, as this should see you shedding a healthy one pound a week.

Earlier in 2011, research leader for the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service Dr David Baer said it is a good idea to gradually implement calorie reduction, as well as perhaps using weight loss aids such as shakes.

Did you realise you could easily cut calories this way?