The serving size dilemma….

America’s FastFood Nation has set the pace for over sized portions and super sized sugary drinks promoting the increase of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol and many more chronic illness’ brought on by a unhealthy lifestyle. What you eat is important but how much you eat is critical.

One of the easiest ways to loose and/or maintain weight is understanding what a healthy serving size is. Consuming small and frequent meals primarily of fresh fruit, vegetables and lean protein is the key to a successful metabolism.  By following this guide below you will be able to make sure your idea of a serving size is optimal.  Remember, even if you eat healthfully, too much of a good thing is still too much.

Tips for Estimating Serving Sizes

compliments of www.myfooddiary.com

	The Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group
	1 pancake	a compact disc (CD)
	1/2 cooked cup rice	a cupcake wrapper full
	1 piece of cornbread	a bar of soap
	1 cup of pasta, spaghetti, cereal	a fist
	2 cups of cooked pasta	a full outstretched hand
	1 cup of potatoes, rice, pasta	a tennis ball, ice cream scoop

	The Vegetable Group
	1 cup green salad	a baseball or a fist
	1 baked potato	a fist
	3/4 cup tomato juice	a small styrofoam cup
	1/2 cup cooked broccoli	a scoop of ice cream or a light bulb
	1/2 cup serving	6 asparagus spears; 7 or 8 baby carrots or carrot sticks or 1 ear of corn on the cob

	The Fruit Group
	1/2 cup of grapes (15 grapes)	a light bulb
	1/2 cup of fresh fruit	7 cotton balls
	1 medium size fruit	a tennis ball or a fist
	1 cup of cut-up fruit	a fist
	1/4 cup raisins	a large egg

	The Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group
	1 ounce of cheese	a pair of dice or your thumb
	1 1/2 ounces cheese	3 dominoes or your index and middle fingers
	1 cup of ice cream	a large scoop the size of a baseball

	The Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Bean, Egg, and Nut Group
	2 tablespoons peanut butter	a ping-pong ball
	1 teaspoon peanut butter	a fingertip
	1 tablespoon peanut butter	a thumb tip
	3 ounces cooked meat, fish, poultry	a palm, a deck or cards or a cassette tape
	3 ounces grilled/baked fish	a checkbook
	3 ounces cooked chicken	a chicken leg and thigh or breast

	Fats, Oils and Sweets
	2 tablespoons salad dressing	a ping-pong ball
	1 teaspoon butter, margarine	size of a stamp the thickness of your finger or a thumb tip

	Snack Foods
	1 ounce of nuts or small candies	one handful
	1 ounce of chips or pretzels	two handfuls
	1/2 cup of potato chips, crackers or popcorn	one man’s handful
	1/3 cup of potato chips, crackers or popcorn	one woman’s handful

	Serving Dishes/Utensils
	1/2 cup	a small fruit bowl, a custard cup or mashed potato scoop
	1 1/2 cups	a large cereal/soup bowl
	1 1/2 cups of pasta, noodles	a dinner plate, not heaped
	1/2 cup of pasta, noodles	a cafeteria vegetable dish

Measuring Tip: You might want to know that… a cupped hand holds 2 tablespoons of liquid if you don’t have measuring spoons.