Portion Sizes: What They Look Like

1 SERVING SIZE =

1 tsp. of butter   =   a postage stamp    OR    the tip of you thumb

1 small bagel   =   diameter of a hockey puck    OR     your palm

1 cup of beans   =   a tennis ball    OR    a cupped handful

2 Tbsp. nuts or dried fruit   =   a golf ball    OR     a small cupped handful

1 small muffin   =   the round part of a light bulb     OR     half of your fist

3 oz. meat   =   a deck of cards     OR     your outstretched palm, minus the fingers

1 ½ oz. cheese   =   three dice     OR     your thumb

2 Tbsp. peanut butter   =     a golf ball     OR     your thumb

1 oz. roll   =   a bar of soap     OR     half of your palm

1 pancake or waffle   =   diameter of a CD     OR     your palm plus ½ to 1 inch

3 x 3 inch of cake   =   a pack of Post-It notes     OR     about ¾ of your palm

1 Tbsp. oil or dressing   =   a silver dollar     OR     the center of your cupped hand

1 cup pretzels or chips   =   a tennis ball     OR     a cupped handful

½ cup ice cream/frozen yogurt   =   ½ tennis ball

Baked potato   =   your fist

Fish   =   checkbook

Vegetables or fruit   =   the size of your hand

Pasta   =   1 ice cream scoop

Apple   =   the size of a baseball

Steamed rice   =   a cupcake wrapper

Other ways of developing and maintaining proper portion control include:

AT HOME

•  Use smaller dishes at meals.

•  Serve food in the appropriate portion amounts and don't go back for seconds.

•  Put away any leftovers in separate, portion-controlled amounts.

   Consider freezing the portions you likely won't eat for a while.

•  Never eat out of the bag or carton.

•  Don't keep platters of food on the table; you are more likely to

   "pick" at it or have a second serving without even realizing it.

AT RESTAURANTS

•  Ask for half or smaller portions.

•  Eyeball your appropriate portion, set the rest aside, and ask for

   a doggie bag right away. Servings at many restaurants are often

   big enough to provide meals for two days.

•  If you have dessert, share.

AT THE SUPERMARKET

•  Beware of "mini-snacks" -- tiny crackers, cookies, and pretzels.

   Most people end up eating more than they realize, and the calories add up.

•  Choose foods packaged in individual serving sizes.

•  If you're the type who eats ice cream out of the carton,

   pick up ice cream sandwiches or other individual size servings.