That portion sizes have increased decade after decade is well known, but you can't take a bunch of measuring cups and a diet scale into a restaurant or to your friend's house at dinner. The serving size listed on the nutrition label for packaged foods isn't much help either as a serving isn't necessarily the same as a portion. This leaves you with guessing as the only way to control your portion sizes.
Step 1
Hold out one hand next to the plate or bowl, or if you're holding the serving plate with one hand and the serving utensil in the other, try to leave enough room on one hand so you can see your palm.
Step 2
Add food to your plate or bowl, glancing between your hand and the food to compare sizes. Use your palm as a guide for a 3-oz. serving of meat, your fist for 1 cup and the tip of your thumb for a teaspoon, for example. Alternately, try to remember the sizes of different objects; for example, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says one serving of pancake is the size of a CD, and one serving of bread is the size of an audio cassette.
Step 3
Limit where you place the food on your plate and try to contain the amounts of the different food groups to no more than that area as an additional estimation. For example, limit grains to 1/4 of your plate.
Tips and Warnings
- Remember that this is all guessing, and the amount of food will vary from person to person because hand sizes vary. A serving of a food is an artificial amount set by the manufacturer that doesn't always match up to a portion size, although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Start practicing on your own before going out to eat, if you can. The American Public Health Association notes that it's a matter of retraining your eyes to recognize what might be considered a big or small portion. At home, use measuring cups and spoons to measure out different amounts of foods and liquids. Pour them into bowls and onto plates so you can see what the exact amount looks like when not restricted to a neat container.
References
- "Times Union"; One Size Fits None; Judi England; February 2010
- Weight Watchers; Guess-Timate Your Portion Size; Julie Meyer
- EatRight Ontario: Understanding Portion Sizes
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Serving Size Card
- American Public Health Association: Portion Sizes: How Much Is Too Much?
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