by Laura Dunkley

Created on: July 19, 2009

Portion size is very much about perception. What many people may consider an acceptable portion is far from what nutrition professionals would consider to be an acceptable amount of food. Portion distortion is the term used by nutrition professionals to describe how many Americans eat today. A cup is no longer eight ounces but anywhere from ten or twelve ounces on up. In this country the idea for many years was bigger is better and that filtered down to our food. Why eat a four ounce serving of steak when I can get a 16 ounce serving for little or nothing. How to keep your portions under control? There are a few methods that are rather quite simple, and only one requires the outlay of cash and it is a one time purchase.

The simplest method involves using everyday household items as a guide to the amount of food we should be eating. A serving of meat should not be any bigger than a deck of playing cards. A serving of rice or mashed potatoes or pasta should be about the size of a tennis ball. A baked potato, a computer mouse. Pancakes, the size of a CD or DVD. A serving of vegetables, the size of a baseball.

Then there is the plate method. Popular to teach meal planning in diabetes and weight management, this involves using an eight inch plate and dividing the plate in four. One half of the plate is for vegetables and if you so desire fruit. One quarter is for your starches; rice, potatoes, corn, pasta. The last quarter is for your meat/protein. Stack 'em too high and everything is falling off the plate.

The next method utilizes the hand, specifically that of an average sized woman. For a print out, visit www.equal.com A closed fist is equivalent to one cup. A thumb is one ounce such as a piece of cheese. The first joint of the thumb is a tablespoon such as a serving of butter of mayonnaise. A handful is one or two ounces of snacks. The palm of your hand is a three ounce serving of meat.

Here is where the monetary outlay may occur. This requires the most diligence and it is actually measuring the food. The tools needed here are wet and dry measure and a food scale. Weigh and measure your food using the Food Pyramid as a guide for portions. Once the eye and psyche have become accustomed to what a cup looks like or 3 oz of meat, it is easy to eyeball and know that the portions are no longer distorted. Periodically weigh and measure the portions as sometimes they do creep back up. Just about any experienced food service worker or nutrition professional can eyeball a portion and be almost 100% accurate.

One of the most important thing in keeping portions under control is to not use the cook spoons. They are all different sizes. Another important thing to keep in mind is that practice makes perfect. With time eating standard portions will become second nature as the eye, stomach and brain become used to eating smaller portions. With discipline and diligence portion distortion will become a thing of the past.

In getting portions under control, it is advisable to refrain from eating out especially at the casual dining chains. Some tips. Share an entree and if you must, dessert, order an appetizer or if they allow you, a child's meal. If you can't do any of the above, take it home for another day. Most meals today can easily provide two or three meals for the price of one and if you do this, think of the money saved not to mention the calories.

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