Portion Control- Just How Much Food is on Your Plate?

It is very easy to misjudge portion sizes. We get super-sized portions while dining out and most of us do not take the time to measure out what a true serving size looks like when we cook at home. Portion control can be your key to permanent weight loss or weight control. Before your next meal check this list from WebMD of foods, serving sizes and visual clues. Check in with yourself and see how many servings you are actually eating in one sitting.

• » See also: Gluten-free Squash Pancakes
• » Get Eat. Drink. Better. by RSS or sign up by email.

VEGGIES
1 cup of raw or cooked veggies= a baseball
1 ear of corn=length of a pencil or 8 inches
1 baked sweet or regular potato= a computer mouse
1 cup salad greens= a baseball

DAIRY
1 ½ ounces of hard cheese= 3 dice
½ cup frozen yogurt or ice cream= a light bulb
1 cup of yogurt (8 oz)= a baseball

GRAINS
1 bagel (3-4 inches in diameter)= a 6oz can of tuna
1 slice of whole grain bread= a cassette tape
1 cup of cooked pasta= a baseball
½ cooked brown rice= a light bulb
1 cup of popcorn= a baseball

PROTEINS
¼ cup almonds (about 12) or ¼ cup walnuts (about 7 walnut halves)= a golf ball
3 oz of chicken or beef= a deck of cards
3 oz of fish= a check book
½ cup cooked beans= a light bulb
2 tablespoon hummus= a golf ball
3 oz tofu= a cassette tape
½ cup tempeh= a cassette tape

FRUIT
1 apple (1 cup)= a baseball
1 banana= length of a pencil (about 8 inches)
½ cup blueberries= a light bulb
1 ounce of dried fruit= a golf ball
½ cup grapes- about 16 small grapes= a light bulb

FATS
1 tablespoon margarine, butter, mayonnaise, or salad dressing= a poker chip

DESSERT
2 inch brownie or 1 oz of chocolate= a package of dental floss
1 slice of cake= a deck of cards
1 muffin= a hockey puck
1 cookie= 2 poker chips

MIXED MEALS
1 burrito= a checkbook
1 hamburger with bun (3oz of meat)= a deck of cards
1 cup of chili= a baseball
1 cup of French fries-about 10 fries= a baseball
1 hero sandwich-about 6 inches= a checkbook
3 inch sq of lasagna= a baseball
1 cup of lo mein= a baseball
1 cup of mac and cheese= a baseball
1 slice of pizza=2 dollar bills

Tweet This Post