Cooked Meat portion sizes

[nikki2975]

In a booklet i have been given it states that three slices the size of playing cards, 60-90g or 2-3oz are a portion but when i look at the portion sizes on the packet of say cooked Turkey or Ham it says 1 slice is a portion so which one should i go off? I usually like 2 slices so i can taste it over the salad and any low-fat Salad Cream or Mayo but i'm only allowed 3 portions of Protein a day and two slices would class as 2 portions if i go off the packet.

I'm really struggling to understand and work out the portion sizes

[Cooper27]

I would weigh it. I think the packs give info for 1 slice as it helps them keep the calories low.

[nikki2975 in reply to Cooper27]

I never thought of that... I think it is done per slice and not per portion.

Thanks

[Penel]

Unless there is a serious medical reason for you to restrict protein, I don't think it's going to matter if you have an extra slice with your salad. You need to enjoy your food!

[nikki2975 in reply to Penel]

Would you say it would be better for me to just divide my calorie intake into 6 (3 meals & 3 snacks) and work my meals around the calorie allowance or should i use my booklet and just tweek the portions a little? it tells you how many portions of each food group to have in a day but it means cutting out a lot of the protein i have which is mostly at tea time. I was going to upload a photo to show it too you but i can't seem to upload it.

[Penel in reply to nikki2975]

I guess that dividing up your recommended calorie allowance could be one way to do it, but I'm not sure that you need 3 snacks. If you can stop eating after your last meal of the day, until breakfast, it can help with weight loss. You could also balance out calories over a week rather than a day, if that helps.

There are a lot of different views on how much protein we should eat (sorry, that probably doesn't help). It's vital for our bodies to help us grow and repair, but we can only use so much and excess protein can be stored as fat. If you do a lot of exercise, you need to make sure you are eating enough protein.

I probably eat more protein than is usually recommended (the best quality I can afford), as I find this works for me. I have to keep my carbs quite low to stop putting on weight. Different approaches work for different people, so you could tweak the recommendations you have been given to make them work for you.

[Jalapenolover101]

I think the general rule is : protein should be the size of a deck of cards, hope this helps

[Bumbledumb]

The portion sizes on packets of sliced meats are not instructions on how much of the product you should consume. They are there to provide information about the nutritional value of the food. It makes sense to provide the nutritional value per slice as most people will choose to eat a number of whole slices at their meal.

You are free to eat as many portions from the pack as you need to meet your nutritional needs.