Size does matter in food portions

Posted October 24, 2016

How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Keep portion sizes in mind when planning and preparing meals and snacks.

Measure your food

Use a scale and measuring cups, or dishes and glasses that you already know the size of to measure portions of your food.

Take control

Instead of mindlessly eating from the big bag of potato chips, read the label and put the correct one serving into a smaller bag or bowl.

Eat mindfully

Make your plate at the stove or counter, then sit at the table, not in front of the TV. Slow down. Take the time to taste and enjoy your food. You'll find yourself feeling much more satisfied.

Dish it

Do your portion sizes look too small? Try using a smaller plate for your meal, instead of large dinner plates.

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This infographic shows that size matters in food portions.

For one serving of meat, you should aim for three ounces of meat, poultry, or tofu or a three-ounce hamburger patty. Each of these would be equal in size to the size of a deck of cards. One serving of fish is four to six ounces and that is about the size of just a little under two decks of cards.

One serving of bread, deli meat, sliced cheese, or a six-inch tortilla should be one ounce in weight which is about the size of one DVD disk.

One serving of dry, flaked or round cereal, chili, or vegetables can be measured out in one-cup servings. A medium-sized piece of fruit like a medium apple, or a small muffin, or a medium bagel are also equivalent to a one-cup serving size.

A half-cup serving size can be measured out with an ice cream scoop and is the portion you should seek for food items like canned fruit, cooked pasta, cooked rice, or ice cream or frozen yogurt.

One tablespoon is the portion size you should use for items like peanut butter or other nut butters.

One teaspoon, which is about the size of one poker chip, is the size you should use for one serving of salad dressing, one serving of butter or similar spread, or one serving of olive or vegetable oil.