Downsizing your meals and food portions is a key strategy to help you lose weight, though it might not be easy in the era of supersized meals, three-patty burgers and gigantic muffins. Presented with a heaping helping of food, most people tend to overeat. As you master portion control, however, you can learn to leave the table feeling satisfied rather than stuffed.
What a Portion Is
It might surprise you to learn that your ideas about what constitutes a single serving of food have been distorted over the years. According to MayoClinic.com, factors in this portion distortion may include too-generous food packaging, extra-large servings in restaurants and, at times, your own eyes when they are "too big for your stomach." For instance, a serving of pasta is just ½ cup. Other examples of single servings: 2 cups salad greens, ½ cup cooked rice, 1 oz. meat, 3 cups popcorn, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1 cup fruit, 1½ oz. cheese and a single pancake, medium potato or egg.
Sizing Up Your Food
Measuring cups or a kitchen scale are useful when you are learning correct portion sizes. They'll help you avoid those too-large servings that add up to more calories and pounds. But here are some comparisons when you need to eyeball your portions: a ½-cup serving equals about one-half a baseball; 1 oz. cheese, a pair of dice; 3 oz. meat, fish or chicken, a deck of cards; 1 cup is about the size of your fist; 2 tbsp. peanut butter, the size of a ping pong ball.
Making Better Choices
As you learn what a correctly downsized portion really is, teach yourself to make better decisions about your meals and snacks. One is to slow down and enjoy what you eat, which may help your brain to register when you are full. You also might try serving yourself the proper portions from the stove or kitchen counter -- so getting "seconds" will be more difficult. Single-serving snacks make dieting a little easier because they measure out the portions for you. And resolve never to eat snacks straight out of the box or bag. Instead, portion out the right serving into a small bowl or plate.
Other Tips and Tricks
The simple trick of using a smaller plate can help your effort to downsize your portions. As the saying goes, "you eat with your eyes first," and your plate will look a little fuller. When you freeze leftovers, put them in single-serving containers. At restaurants, estimate the portion of your meal that looks like a proper serving and ask for a take-out carton for the rest. Having dessert? Share one-half of it with a dining partner so you'll do less damage to your diet.
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