I wanted to share a simple habit that’s helped me make healthier food choices: using a digital kitchen scale.
If you’re thinking about making some positive changes to your diet, I highly recommend giving a scale a try! It’s surprisingly easy to use and it doesn’t take much time at all to get important numbers that can help you hit your goals.
I’ve found the scale to be a practical way to focus on key aspects of my nutrition without feeling overwhelmed. I primarily use it to keep track of three things, which helps me feel great, perform well and stay on track.
1. I Weigh Fruits and Vegetables
I’m not counting calories here; my goal is to eat around 800 grams of fruits and veggies each day.
I have no strict rules about what or when I eat them—I just want to make sure I’m getting plenty because they’re packed with micronutrients, they add satisfying volume to my meals, and they are a great source of fiber.
Weighing these items is a fantastic habit to develop because many of us don’t get enough fruits and vegetables and might reach for more processed, calorie-dense options instead.
If you set your targets and weigh vegetables and fruit, you’re much more likely to hit your goals, and you’ll feel fuller, so you’ll be less inclined to snack.
2. I Weigh Nut Butters and Other Treats
It’s easy to go overboard with things like peanut butter, and weighing small items that pack a major calorie punch helps me keep my portion sizes in check so I can enjoy these foods without derailing my goals. This plan works well for other high-fat spreads and oils, too.
You might be amazed what 30 grams looks like or what “1 serving” actually is. If you “free pour” dense items—chocolate, chips, nuts, butters—you will almost always end up eating more than you intended to.
Try this today: Eyeball 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (about 15 grams). Then measure out that same amount. I’ve done this, and I realized that I just can’t rely on guessing with calorically dense foods.
3. I Weigh Protein
Many people struggle to consistently eat enough protein. Most of my clients will undereat this macronutrient, while they seldom struggle to get enough carbs or fats.
To stay on track with this critical muscle-building macro, I find it helpful to weigh things such as egg whites, meat and dairy to ensure I’m meeting my daily requirements.
When I cook lunch, I always measure out the same amount of egg whites. When my husband cooks lunch, he doesn’t use the scale, and he’s always hungry after the meal because he underestimates the amount of egg he pours in the pan.
Some rare people eat a lot of protein, but most don’t. If you have goals of getting stronger or adding any muscle, I’d encourage you to measure so you hit your protein goals.
Precision for the Win!
Using a scale doesn’t have to be about restricting what you eat. The scale can be a tool for building awareness, adding accountability and even enjoying abundance. Sometimes I weigh a serving of a particular treat and say, “Wow, I get to eat more than I thought I would!”
Weighing is just a simple way to be honest with yourself and stay on track with your health and fitness goals.
Regular use of a scale also helps you develop good habits and knowledge so that even when you don’t have one handy, you’re better equipped to make great food choices.
If you don’t have a food scale, you can find inexpensive ones easily.
Maybe start by just weighing your fruits and vegetables for a week, then focus on protein the following week, and perhaps take a look at your nut-butter portions after that—you might be surprised by what you discover.
And here’s the next step: It’s one thing to know how much you’re eating but another to know if your food habits are perfect for your goals. That’s where I come in. If you’d like to talk about eating to get the results you want, send me a text or DM!
