Portion control can be difficult to manage. How do we determine the right amount of food to eat? What is the difference between a portion and a serving?
A serving is a standard amount of food, such as a cup, tablespoon, or ounce. This is not the recommended size, just a standard measurement. A portion is actually how much we eat. Being overweight or obese is a challenge in the US; many adults and one out of three children are considered overweight or obese. Is there a relationship to our weight and our portion size?
Why is portion control so challenging in the US?
- We live in a world of excess.
- Food has become incredibly convenient.
- Ready-to-eat food is so easy to consume.
- The food industry has made food so hyper-palatable, and we love to indulge.
- We have become a nation of grazers/snackers.
- Portion distortion is on the rise (think supersize).
Wouldn’t it be great if we knew the best portion size to eat each when we filled our plate? Let’s look at some tips to manage portion control.
Here are some tips that can make it easy to know the best portion size. First, if you are wanting to lose weight, a good place to start is by using smaller dinner plates. This is something that we started doing a few years ago. We use a 9-inch plate instead of 10-inch plate most of the time. This is helpful for your brain to think you have enough food. This is also true of your glassware and bowls. Larger size dinnerware can unconsciously influence what size of a portion you put on your plate.
Let’s look at two methods for determining portion size: the hand method and the object method. The hand method uses your hand to guide you on what is the appropriate portion of different kinds of foods. The object method uses common objects as a comparison to determine the portion size.
Hand Method
Using our hand or a part of our hand as a guide to portions works well because our hand is always with us.
- Protein – palm
- Vegetables/Fruits – fist
- Carbohydrates – fist or cupped hand
- Fats – thumb
- Cheese – pointer and middle finger
Women and men will need different amounts, women one per serving and men will need two. This is a generalization and depends on your goals, stature, and activity level; but it is a great starting point.
Object Method
Protein
- Deck of Cards – 3 ounces of meat and poultry
- Check book – 3 ounces of fish
- Golf Ball – ¼ cup nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter
Vegetables
- Baseball – 1 cup of raw leafy greens, 1 cup of cooked vegetables, 1 cup of chopped or raw vegetables
- Computer Mouse – 1 medium potato
Fruits
- Baseball – 1 medium fruit or 1 cup chopped or raw fruits
- Golf Ball – ¼ cup dried fruit
Grains/Legumes/Pasta
- Baseball – 1 cup of cereal
- Light Bulb – 1/2 cup cooked rice, beans, or pasta
- CD – pancake
- Hockey Puck – bagel
Dairy
- Baseball – 1 cup of yogurt
- Half a Baseball – 1/2 cup of ice cream
- 3 Dice – 1-1/2 ounces of cheese
Fats, Oils, & Sweets
- Poker Chip – 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of salad dressing,
- 1 Die – teaspoon of olive oil
- 4 Dice – 1 brownie
- Deck of Cards – 1 slice of cake
We can personally take back control of our portions by being mindful of what we are putting on our plate. By controlling portion size, we can prevent overindulging and ultimately weight control.
Do you struggle with portion control? What strategies have you used to take back your health through portion size?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but Chronicles in Health will receive a small commission. This helps cover some of the costs for this site. I appreciate your support!
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
