Eating Well---and Portion Size
The key to making good food choices is not simply what you eat, but how much you eat as well. The often overlooked aspect of the
‘Eating Equation’ is the PORTION SIZE issue.
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What should your portion size look like? According to the American Diabetes Association the following guidelines have been established:
Meat, fish, poultry – 3-4oz.
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(about the size of a deck of cards)
Cheese – 1 oz. (about the size of your thumb)
Milk, yogurt, fresh vegetables – 1 cup
(about the size of a tennis ball)
Bread/whole wheat – one slice
Rice or cooked pasta – 1/3 cup
Potato or corn – 1/2 cup
Dry cereal – 3/4 cup
While you are paying attention to portion sizes at home it becomes another issue when you decide to visit a restaurant. Some restaurants serve pasta in portions that can be up to 4-5 times the size of the standard guidelines. It would be ok to have a little more than 1/3 of a cup, but to have five times that is excessive. The trend today is to increase portion sizes to sometimes double and triple the size of those same meals you would prepare at home. This increase in portion size and calories has continued since the 1980’s. (Young, Ph.D., and Nestle, Ph.D., NYU, Am J Public Health, 2002).
What can you do to resist this movement towards unintentional overeating?
1. Restaurant: Plan on eating one-half of your meal and take the rest home
2. Home: do not place the serving dishes on the table
3. Restaurant: share a meal with your companion at the restaurant
4. Home: read labels and find out what the serving size is for that food item
If you would like to ‘track’ your progress go to: www.myplate.gov and go to the top and select ‘supertracker’ and set up a personal system for you to monitor your eating plan. Then select ‘physical activity’ and monitor your exercise.
Eat Well….Eat Smart…. Be Active….Stay Healthy!
Shop at the South Windsor Farmers Market/Winter Season 2013
10am to 1pm, AT: the Church Hall, St. Margaret Mary Church, 80 hayes Rd.)
Find us on Facebook: South Windsor Farmers Market
Website: swfood.org
* The South Windsor FOOD Alliance: Sub-Committee of the SW Park & Recreation Commission
