What is a correct portion size?

dosesr4winners20
dosesr4winners20 Posts: 362
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all! I was just discussing this with a fellow MFP'er and thought I'd share. Here a great rough guide to food serving sizes.

How To Learn Portion Control

The first thing you need to really get a grasp on is that your stomach is about the size of your fist. Most plates of dinner served at a restaurant are twice, sometimes three times the size of this. Make it a buffet and you could be eating a portion that is 6 times the size of your stomach.

An appetizer is usually a sensible portion size for your stomach. Use the palm of your hand to get a good sense of how much protein you should eat at any given meal. Make the rest of the plate full of vegetables.

Here is a quick reference list of popular foods:
1 cup of cereal = a baseball. For example, a cup Cheerios has about a 110 calories.


2 Tbsp of salad dressing = a shot glass. Most salads in restaurants have 2 LADLES of dressing on them; 2 Tbsp is a relatively small amount and will average about 240 calories. Adding lemon or mustard or something like balsamic vinegar can make your salad "moist" without adding extra fat and calories.


1 Oz of Nuts = a cupped palm. For example, an ounce of Cashews has 163 calories and they're so good it's hard to stop at a "cupped palm".


1 Oz of Cheese = a ping-pong ball. An ounce of Cheddar has about 110 calories. The picture is of comedian Mister PP and gives you a reasonably good visual idea of the size of a ping pong ball relative to your mouth!


3 Oz of Hamburger = a mayonaise jar lid. To get a good idea of how big that lid is, move your fingers into a "grab and open a lid" position. It's a full one ounce smaller than a quarter pounder. Some higher end restaurants serve 1/2 pound hamburgers.


1 Tbsp of Peanut Butter = three dice. Most peanut butter labels have 2 Tbsp as a serving, which is 200 calories. You can make a decent "sandwich" with 1 Tablespoon. Peanut butter is also delicious with bananas and celery.


1/2 a Cup of Rice = an ice cream scoop. A 1/2 cup of white rice has about 205 calories, and if you're in a restaurant it's easy to have at least 3 servings. Just put one "ice cream scoop" on your plate.


1 Potato = a computer mouse. A potato only has a 100 calories. It's the stuff you put on the potato that makes the "portion" get out of control. Check out a Baked Potato with Cheese and Bacon.


1 Dinner Roll = a yo-yo. A dinner roll has about 66 calories. Unfortunately, it's hard to stop at one when a basket of 6 arrives at your table. Here are tips about how to eat out and still lose weight.


1 Tsp of Butter = a Scrabble tile. Usually about a Tablespoon of butter is used at about a 100 calories and 2 Weight Watchers Points. It's virtually all fat. Better alternatives to butter are olive oil or avocado.


1/2 a Cup of Cooked Pasta = a golf ball. There are roughly 200 calories in a full cup of pasta (2 golf balls). You'll find information about every kind of pasta here.


3 Oz of Fish = a checkbook. A serving of cooked salmon has about 175 calories. Calories and Nutrition Facts in other kinds of fish. Be mindful of mercury when selecting your fish entree.


3 Oz of Beef = a bar of soap There are roughly 200 calories in a Serving of Steak and most restaurants are serving a much larger portion than a "bar of soap". Also be sure to ask if the steak has been marianated or other hidden additives that cause food sensitivities.

Hope this helps some of you! <3 christina

Replies

This discussion has been closed.

Categories