4.2 C
Washington
Monday, November 11, 2024

Get the Dish: A Visual Guide to Food Portions

Date:

Share:

“©iStockphoto.com/skodonnell

One way to maintain a healthy weight is through portion control. But it’s hard to know how much you should be eating in an era of gigantic restaurant meals. Try this — compare the size of your meal to an everyday object.

“©iStockphoto.com/Egypix

Usually used to enjoy your favorite music, a compact disc is a great item to help visualize portions. One pancake (or waffle) and 1 ounce of lunch meat are both the size of a CD.

“©iStockphoto.com/Chris scredon

America’s favorite pastime — baseball! One cup of cooked or raw vegetables is about the size of this unmistakable sports item. One medium fruit is also equivalent to one baseball.

“©iStockphoto.com/fumumpa

The audio cassette tape — yes, that ancient predecessor to the MP3 and compact discs — still has a use. Achieve better portion control by comparing one serving of bread to the size of a cassette tape.

“©iStockphoto.com/Carrie Winegarden

Half a cup of cut fruit, veggies or even cooked pasta adds up to about one tennis ball. One rounded handful is another way to eyeball half a cup.

“©iStockphoto.com/Victor Burnside

In one sitting, you should consume about 3 ounces of meat, fish or poultry. Visualize a deck of playing cards (or a checkbook for fish) to make sure your portion is the right size.

“©iStockphoto.com/Jeannot Olivet

Before you spread that peanut butter on a sandwich, remember that all you need for a healthy portion is 2 tablespoons. A dollop the size of a ping-pong ball size is a good rule of thumb.

“©iStockphoto.com/Nick M. Do

If you like board games, this one should be easy: Picture four stacked dice for that 1-ounce portion of cheese. Poker chips are another game piece that can help you quickly identify 1 tablespoon of butter, dressing or mayonnaise.

“©iStockphoto.com/Jaser Bratzadeh

Next time you’re surfing the Web, remember that the computer mouse in your hand is how big a serving of baked potato on your plate should be.

“©iStockphoto.com/Robert Hadfield

Think golf ball for those smaller portions of nuts and dried fruit. A serving of nuts is about a quarter cup and should be able to fit in the palm of your hand. To learn more about a healthy diet check out this Food Labels 101 article.

Subscribe to our magazine

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" msg_composer="" msg_succ_radius="0" display="column" gap="12" input_padd="12px" input_border="0" btn_text="Subscribe Now" pp_check_size="15" pp_check_radius="50" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn19" msg_succ_bg="#12b591" f_msg_font_family="702" f_msg_font_size="13" f_msg_font_spacing="0.5" f_msg_font_weight="400" input_color="#000000" input_place_color="#666666" f_input_font_family="702" f_input_font_size="13" f_input_font_weight="400" f_btn_font_family="702" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" f_btn_font_size="12" f_btn_font_spacing="0.5" btn_bg="#3894ff" btn_bg_h="#2b78ff" pp_check_border_color="#ffffff" pp_check_border_color_c="#ffffff" pp_check_bg_c="#ffffff" pp_check_square="#2b78ff" pp_check_color="rgba(255,255,255,0.8)" pp_check_color_a="#3894ff" pp_check_color_a_h="#2b78ff" msg_err_radius="0"]

━ more like this

Be a Hero this Halloween

Be a Hero this HalloweenBeing a hero goes beyond dressing up in a costume this Halloween season. Children, families and schools across the country can channel their own superpowers to help deliver lif

Get Away Without Going Away

Get Away Without Going Away5 family staycation ideas that won’t break your budgetFamily vacations are a great way to bond and take a step back from the hectic schedules that accompany everyday life, b

5 Common Questions for Memorializing a Loved One

5 Common Questions for Memorializing a Loved OneOne of the most difficult conversations in a person’s life typically takes place near the end of that life. Planning for a funeral can put an emotional

Top Tips to Transition Back to Work After Baby

Top Tips to Transition Back to Work After BabyMany new parents spend hours preparing for the arrival of a new baby – reading books, seeking professional advice and consulting friends and family. Howev

Making the Back-to-School Transition Easy from Kindergarten to College

Making the Back-to-School Transition Easy from Kindergarten to CollegeIt’s time to get your household organized for another school year and all that comes with it. Whether your child is headed off to
spot_img

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here