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Eathing Healthy: Portion Control Tips

Source of Recipe

Nutritional expert Sandra Viele


Recipe Introduction

Nutritional expert Sandra Viele shares tips for maintaining a nutritional diet through controlling the portion size..........as seen on TIPical Mary Ellen

List of Ingredients

A great tool for figuring out a balanced nutritional diet, the Food Guide Pyramid, suggests the amount of grains, vegetables, fruits, meat (or meat alternatives) and dairy that should be eaten daily. According to this guide, the average woman should eat six servings of grains, three vegetables, two servings of dairy, two fruits, and five to six ounces of meat or meat alternatives daily. Fats and sweets should be used sparingly.

These guidelines for serving sizes will help you determine portions:

One serving of vegetables will fit in your hand.

One serving of grain is anywhere from 80 to 100 calories. Examples include a slice of bread, half a bagel, one small roll, or a half cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta.

One serving of dairy is about 90 calories, about the size of 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, one cup of milk or yogurt, or 1-1/2 ounce to two ounces of cheese. (A serving size of cheese is about the size of a thumb.)

One meat serving is two to three ounces of cooked meat, poultry or fish, or one of the following: one egg, 1/2 cup of legumes, four ounces of tofu, or two tablespoons of nuts, seeds or peanut butter.

One serving of fat is one teaspoon of butter, margarine or oil or one of the following: one tablespoon of salad dressing, a single slice of bacon, two tablespoons of cream or half-and-half, two tablespoons of sour cream or one tablespoon of cream cheese. (A serving size of fat is about the size of the tip of your thumb.)


Recipe

Nutrition labels typically suggest serving sizes that are smaller than the average person would consider a portion to be. A usual serving size would fit into the palm of your hand. Here are some other tips:


Restaurant portions are typically two or three servings. To avoid eating everything on your plate, ask your server to give you only half the meal and box the rest in a take-home container.

A half cup, which is one serving of fruit and vegetables, is usually the size of a tennis or racquetball.

When using a juicer to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet, keep in mind that juice is dense in calories. A serving is approximately 1/2 cup.

To avoid having to keep track of everything you eat daily, divide your "eating day" in thirds. In each third of the day, go by the 3-2-1 principle--three grains, two fruits or vegetables, and one protein or milk.

Use your plate as a guide for each meal. Again, divide into thirds--2/3 of the items on your plate should be grains or carbohydrates and 1/3 should come from the other food groups.

To adjust serving sizes, use a salad plate rather than a dinner plate, and use the same formula as above.