Portion control and knowing what a portion or serving size looks like is so essential for not only losing weight, but also maintaining your weight. Did you know that there are some basic ways that you can remember what a portion size looks like, or be able to assess how many portions you are about to eat? Too often we eat without measuring, therefore we might think we are eating sensibly, but in actuality we are taking in double or even triple the serving size. Below is a fun and easy guide to refer to for identifying one serving!
Use these comparisons to keep your portions in check. (Nestle.com)
- A baseball or size of your fist- would be one serving of vegetables or fruit
- Tennis ball- measures to about ½ cup of food (for example, ½ cup ice cream)
- Golf ball or large egg- is about a ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts
- Six dice or one domino- would equal one serving of cheese
- Deck of cards or the palm of your hand- equivalent to a serving of meat, fish or poultry
- Tip of your thumb- about one-teaspoon of peanut butter
- Computer mouse- one serving of a baked potato
- CD (compact disc)- equals the serving size of a waffle of pancake
- Check book- equals a 3 oz. serving of fish
- 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
Other friendly tips:
1. Look at your plate of food. Roughly half of your plate should be full of vegetables, one-quarter should be your protein, and the last one-quarter should be your starch.
2. Read food labels. Every one of them displays the serving size. It’s usually not one entire package.
that eating healthy food in every meal everyday could help you get healthy