How do you know how much of each food to eat in a meal? Ask yourself, “When it was alive, did it have eyes?” Foods that contain protein typically come from animals—beef, fish, and fowl—which all have eyes (OK, there are a few exceptions, like beans and tofu). Carb-y fruits, tubers, grains, and vegetables, on the other hand, are always eyeless.
If you tend to feel hungry all the time, make every meal one-half “eye” foods, one-third carbs (the eye-less), and one-fifth high-fat foods (avocados, nuts), says Paul Chek, the author of How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy! On a dinner plate you could put steak on one side and veggies and/or rice on the other, carving out a little corner at the top for avocado.