Active Ability’s portion plates
A portion plate is a simple visual portion guide and meal portioning tool that is used to assist with building healthy, balanced meals, ensuring adequate portions of each food group. The Australian portion plate is divided into three sections: lean meats and alternatives (protein), grains and cereals (carbohydrates) and vegetables. Each section represents how much of the different foods should take up as part of a meal, making it an easy way to control meal portions.
Why are portion plates useful?
Portion control can be challenging to achieve. Many people choose healthy foods but still struggle with healthy serving sizes or the balance of nutrients on their plate. A portion control plate removes the guesswork by providing a strong visual portion guide at mealtimes without the need for scales. The portion plate can be incredibly beneficial for children and adults alike, supporting weight management, general health and building healthy habits, to name a few. They can support different people with various goals by providing:
- consistency across meals
- consistency of portioning across caregivers or support staff
- confidence in food choices and building healthy, balanced meals
- independence in making good choices at meal times
- capacity building when it comes to plating and preparing meals
There is an abundance of robust clinical evidence as to the impact portion plates can have as a nutrition tool in the everyday life of children and adults. In children, we know that the use of portion plates can affect an increase in the serving and consumption of vegetables, which is one of the most common paediatric goals we see at Active Ability! In the adult population, we know that the use of portion plates can significantly reduce BMI, which can elicit a whole host of health benefits, such as impacts on blood pressure and diabetes management.
Alignment with the Australian Healthy Eating Guidelines:
Portion plates are designed in line with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, which has a focus on balance, variety and the five food groups. The portion plate links in with the guidelines by prioritising vegetables, including adequate protein and controlling carbohydrate portions. As a health meal planning tool, it provides an easy way to control portions and support the development of a healthy lifestyle.
Who are portion plates for?
Portion plates are versatile and can be used by:
- adults wanting a simple and effective way to achieve healthy, balanced meals
- group homes to create consistency and nutritious meals
- children (when using the child-specific portion plate) to learn how to build a healthy, balanced meal.
Portion plates teach people how to build a meal. They are easy to use, easy to understand and easy to implement, making it a practical and supportive tool to use to achieve healthy eating for everyday use.
Active Ability’s portion plates
Active Ability has two dietitian-designed portion plates that can be used in conjunction with dietetic intervention to support clients to reach their goals.
One of Active Ability’s plates is designed for adults, and the other is designed to support kids.
The abundance of clinical research as to the benefits of portion plates in helping both children and adults achieve their nutrition goals led us to design our own portion plates to ensure:
- plates are visually appealing, especially our paediatric portion plate
- Our clients have access to an affordable tool to achieve their dietetic goals
- They are an easy-to-use tool
- help our clients achieve confidence and consistency with their meal preparation
¹ Melnick, E. M., & Li, M. (2018). Association of Plate Design With Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables Among Preschool Children. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(10), 982.
