For decades women have been told to eat our fruits, veggies and monitor the amount of food we put into our bodies. But what exactly is portion control and how does one go about implementing it into your lifestyle. Let’s be clear…today’s blog is not about losing weight. Portion control is a way of life. Our body only needs so many fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and grains a day (think old school food pyramid). Also, the average women is going to need smaller daily portions than a man. That is where portion control comes in to play…portion control helps you to monitor the amount of food you intake daily, while also ensuring you are meeting your daily serving of fruits and veggies AND allowing you to still enjoy the foods you love.
Honestly though, it’s not practical to practice portion control when out to eat. It’s not as if you can throw measuring cups in your purse and often food sizes at restaurants are massive. In these instances, your hand can be a wonderful approximate guide to how much you should be eating.
Fist = 1 cup
Cereal, Soups, Fruit, Vegetables, Salad
Cupped Hand = ½ cup
Pasta, Rice, Potatoes, Cooked Veggies, Ice Cream (yes…ice cream)
2 Cupped Hands = 1 ounce
Chips and Crackers
Palm Of Your Hand = 3 – 4 ounces
Red Meat, Fish, Chicken, Pork
Thumb = 1 ½ tablespoons
Dressings, Sour Cream, Spreadable Cheese, Peanut Butter
The Tip Of Your Thumb = 1 teaspoon
Butter, Oils, Mayonnaise
