How do I Know if Servings are Too Big or Too Small?

There are many misconceptions about what proper portion sizes are when planning meals. The biggest problem is that portion sizes are often smaller that what you may think. Many foods that we eat are often more than just one serving. For example, a salad is usually 2 to 3 servings rather than only one. Here are the serving sizes of some commonly eaten foods:

1 cup raw leafy vegetables

1/2 cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables

3/4 cup or 6 ounces of 100% vegetable or fruit juice

1/2 cup chopped, cooked or canned fruit

1 medium piece of fruit

1/4 cup dried fruit

1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta

1 slice of bread

1/2 bagel

1 cup of milk or yogurt

1 1/2 ounce of natural cheese (cheddar)

2 ounces of processed cheese (American)

2 to 3 ounces of cooked, skinless poultry, seafood or lean meat

Of course, these serving sizes are easy to measure, but to give you an idea of what some serving sizes look like compared to more common items, here are some comparisons:

3 ounces of chicken or fish is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand

1 cup of vegetable is about the size of your fist

1 medium apple is about the size of a baseball

1/2 cup of cooked pasta is about the size of a scoop of ice cream

1 1/2 ounces of cheese is about the size of a pair of dice

1 teaspoon of butter or margarine is about the size of the tip of your thumb

1 cup of dry cereal is about a large handful

One of the major barriers to eating healthy that many people find is that they think they do not have the time. Often, when this is the case, they resort to eating at fast food restaurants. Although many of these restaurants are expanding their menus to include healthy food choices such as salads, wraps and fruit, they are still offering many unhealthy foods. One of the biggest problems with eating the less healthy choices is that the serving sizes are much larger than what they actually should be. For example, most fast food chains offer larger sizes of hamburgers, soda and french fries that are often 2 to 5 times larger than the original size. If you were to eat one of these larger meals, it can contain almost the amount of calories that you should be consuming throughout the day and not just in one meal. Not only do fast food restaurant serve larger portions, but often sit down restaurants serve larger portions as well. For example, if you ordered a pasta dish, it is often 2 to 4 times larger than the normal serving. It is also not uncommon to find that the amount of pasta in a restaurant sized dish is 1 pound. This is the same amount of pasta you get when you buy a box in the supermarket. However, eating out sometimes cannot be avoided; here are some tips to help you make healthier choices when doing so:

Avoid "upsizing" your meal at fast food restaurants

Try eating at a fast food restaurant that specializes in soups, salads and sandwiches

When ordering a dish at a sit down restaurant, split it in half right away and take half home so as to avoid eating the whole plate

Don't feel as though you have to clean your plate when eating out

Drink water or juice instead of soda

Don't let the bread basket sit in front of you while you wait for your food. Take one piece of bread and ask the server to take the rest away.

Have a snack before you go out to eat. This will keep you from overeating at the restaurant.

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