by C. S. Gallagher

Created on: January 07, 2011

Portion control is perhaps the hardest part of any resolution to eat healthier. With the gigantic portion sizes given to us by restaurants, fast food, and our parents, too, it’s easy to see how keeping portions under control is difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. There are some ways to help learn proper portion sizes, and there are plenty of tips to keeping on top of your goal to eat healthier.

Learn to measure with your eyes. Every diet book and calorie counter will explain portion sizes in ounces. One serving of fish is 3 ounces; a serving of cheese is 1 ounce, and so on. This tells us what the proper amount is, but how much is an ounce? Measuring portions by weighing ounces is impractical in the everyday sense. Instead, learning to visually understand the right portion will improve our sense of what is the proper portion size. For example, 1 ounce of cheese is about the equivalent of two dominoes, and three ounces of fish is about the size of a deck of cards. There are a number of sources on the Internet that one can learn this technique. Learning what a portion should look like is one of the best ways to improve your ability to determine a proper portion.  

Get smaller plates. It’s harder to overfill a smaller dish. Simple physics won’t allow it to be done! You can also help control portions by filling the plate with the right stuff. For example, vegetables should cover about half the plate. The meat or protein of your meal should take up no more than one fourth of the plate, and the grain or bread should finish up the plate graph.

Watch what you drink. Perhaps the most overlooked and out-of-control portions are in what we drink. Most drink portion sizes are 6-8 ounces, and generally less for alcoholic drinks such as wine. That’s a really small glass, especially for those of us who usually refill a 32 oz soda! While water is always the best choice, sometimes you just need a root beer. But it’s important to know just how much you’re drinking. Like with the plates, use a smaller glass. A juice glass is perfect for measuring out a portion of liquid.

There are also ways to help control what you eat while out on the town. First, you can order a water with your soda, and don’t get a refill on the soda. You can also ask the waiter to box up half your meal before it even arrives in front of you. This will reduce the temptation to finish the whole thing. And, of course, generously split the dessert with your party.

In sum, reversing our idea of over-sized portions is possible with a little bit of learning and some common sense. Learn to visually measure the correct portion sizes. Use smaller plates, and save the tall glasses for water. Don’t neglect dessert; a little indulgence can help in the long run, reducing the probability of binge eating. After all, ice cream counts as a serving of dairy.

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