“My doctor has advised me to give up those intimate little dinners for four, unless there are three other people eating with me.”
–Orson Wells
We live in a world where bigger is seen as better unless we are talking about dress size or thigh size. Super Sizing seems like it hits the spot when you are so hungry you could eat a horse. Our eyes have been trained to see proportions as bigger than what is real. We expect more food on our plate when we go out to eat. We want to eat until we have satisfied our love for food and not our hunger.
In order to reach your weight loss goals or to maintain your weight it is essential to know proper food proportions. If you would like a PDF of a card to print out to keep with you click HERE.
Below is a list of proper portions of food. Are these portions smaller then you expected? If so, keep in mind these portions the next time you eat.
Meat and Nonmeat Proteins
3 oz. meat = deck of cards, cassette tape
4 oz. meat = palm of the hand
3 oz. grilled or baked fish = checkbook
1 tsp. peanut butter = tip of finger to first joint
2 Tbsp. peanut butter = ping pong ball
1 cup beans = baseball
Breads, Grains and Cereals
1/2 cup cooked cereal or grain = cupcake wrapper full
2 cups pasta or grain = a full outstretched hand
1 cup dried cereal = large handful
1 slice bread = audiocassette tape
1 pancake = compact disc (CD)
Fruit
1 medium fruit = tennis ball, man’s fist
1/2 cup cut-up fruit = 7 cotton balls, 15 marbles
1 cup fruit = baseball, man’s fist
1/2 cup grapes = 15 grapes
Vegetables
1/2 cup cut up vegetables = tennis ball, light bulb
1 cup cut up vegetables = man’s fist
1 medium potato = computer mouse
1 cup lettuce = 4 lettuce leaves
Dairy Foods
1 oz. cheese = 4 dice, your thumb
1 1/2 oz. natural cheese = 3 dominoes, a 9-volt battery, bar of hotel soap, your index and middle fingers
1/2 cup ice cream = tennis ball
Concentrated Fats
1 tsp. butter, oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise = tip of finger to first joint
1 Tbsp. butter, oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise = tip of thumb to first joint, one dice
1/2 cup chips, crackers or popcorn = man’s handful
Portion sizes were taken from resources from various internet sites and the food pyramid from the government.
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