Many of us tend to underestimate the amount of food we eat and tend to overestimate the recommended portion sizes for many foods. For example, try pouring out your usual portion of pasta and measure it! Then, compare it to the label portion size. Chances are, you’re eating two, three, four or more times the amount on the label.
If you are confused when reading a food label, try relating the portion size of a serving to everyday items. It is an easy way to visualize what a true portion size looks like.
- Woman’s fist or baseball—a serving of vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist
- A rounded handful—about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta – this is a good measure for a snack serving, such as chips or pretzels
- Deck of cards—a serving of meat, fish or poultry or the palm of your hand (don’t count your fingers!) – for example, one chicken breast, ¼ pound hamburger patty or a medium pork chop
- Golf ball or large egg—one quarter cup of dried fruit or nuts
- Tennis ball—about one half cup of ice cream
- Computer mouse—about the size of a small baked potato
- Compact disc—about the size of one serving of pancake or small waffle
- Thumb tip—about one teaspoon of peanut butter
- Six dice—a serving of cheese
- Check book—a serving of fish (approximately 3 oz.)
Eyeball it! Take a look at the recommended serving sizes on the new USDA MyPyramid Food Guidance System. Get out a measuring cup or a food scale and practice measuring some of your favorite foods onto a plate, so that you can see how much (or how little!) a ½ cup or 3-ounce serving is. This will help you “eyeball” a reasonable serving!
Portion sizes for children
Children need adequate calories to meet their needs for growth. On the other hand, portions that are too large could lead to overeating or seem overwhelming.
Serving small portions to young children is often the best way for them to learn to eat only until satisfied, instead of overeating. Start kids off with less and encourage them to ask for more if they’re still hungry.
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[...] portion size is probably one of the easiest ways to lose weight in theory, but one of the hardest things to [...]
It starts with discipline and knowing you can eat 6-7-8-9 handfuls of different food all day IF it is your essential fruits and vegetables. Mindfulness plays a large part because by eating slower you will fill full quicker. And how much you consume should also vary depending on how sedentary your day is. Highly sedentary (6-7 handfuls) vs. Moderate-Highly active (8-9) handfuls
i have been using limited portion sizes all May, espically carbs, and it is making a difference. You get use to it after a while.
Good for you my friend. And of course you adjust. It’s natural. All of life is a learning project. Teaching yourself new habits may be difficult but anything worth doing is. Positive personal habits will make you healthier & happier. In terms of carbs I rarely eat white flour anymore. You come to realize you can achieve the same or better results with high impact foods(veggies/fruits/beans/etc)
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