With so many people focused on weight loss and changing their eating habits in the new year, I thought it might be helpful to offer some guidelines on proper portion sizes. I am not a big fan of weighing and measuring food because I think it is too difficult to sustain and really, who wants to carry a scale with them all the time? I would rather people learn to eyeball appropriate portion sizes. This method is not exact but is much easier to make a permanent part of their lives. With that being said, here are a few common foods and their single serve portion size in relation to common objects.
Fruit: 1 Medium = 1 Baseball
Fruit juice: 6 fluid oz. = Juice glass
Vegetables: 1/2 cup =Bulb part of a light bulb
Bagel: 1/2 small= 1/2 of a packaged English muffin
Bread: toast 1 slice = Slice from standard loaf
Cold Breakfast Cereal: 1 cup (8 oz) = Standard teacup
Pasta or rice: 1/2 cup cooked = fill a standard cup cake wrapper
Meat, chicken, fish: 3 oz. = Palm of a woman’s hand
Beans (kidney, pinto, etc.): 1/2 cup (4 oz) = Bulb part of a light bulb
Eggs: 1 (replaces 1 oz. meat) = 1 Large egg
Peanut butter: 2 tablespoons = Size of 1 whole walnut shell
Cheese: 1 ounce (oz) = 2 dominoes
Milk, yogurt: 1 cup =Standard yogurt container
Soy milk: 1 cup = Standard yogurt container
chips, popcorn and other airy snacks = the size of an incandescent light bulb
FATS
Butter: 1 teaspoon (tsp.) =1 pat
Salad dressing: 1 tablespoon (T or tbs)= 1/2 walnut shell full
Sugar: 1 teaspoon = 1 packet
Cream Cheese: 1 tablespoon = 1 packet
Whipping Cream (Light): 1 tablespoon =Size of 1 marshmallow
Half and Half : 1 tablespoon =1/2 walnut shell full
With a little practice, using these common objects to help you gauge portion size will become easier. Enjoy and happy munching!
