Portion Distortion

Sponsoring the Estrella's Biggest Loser event and leading a nutrition and cooking class has got me doing research into the common reasons people have been gradually gaining weight for the last twenty years.

Americans waistlines are growing and a big part of that is the gradually increasing portions being eaten. Be it convenience foods or restaurant meals, the quantities of food being served has multiplied. I think this can be attributed equally to 1)Consumers not realizing the portions have gradually gotten larger, and 2)Consumers not being aware of proper portion sizes.

Check out these examples of portions 20 years ago versus today.

It is difficult for the best of us to estimate proper portion sizes. Here are some visuals that can help you Eat Healthy! Courtesy of checkyourhealth.org

	Handful = 1-2 oz. Example: 1 oz. nuts = 1 handful or 2 oz. pretzels = 2 handfuls
	Fist = 1cup Example: Two servings of pasta or oatmeal
	Palm = 3 oz. Example: a cooked serving of meat. (NOT including your fingers or thumb)
	Thumb = 1 oz. Example: piece of cheese
	1 fruit serving= ½ cup canned or 1 medium fruit (about the size of a tennis ball)
	1 meat, poultry or fish serving= 3 oz (about the size of a deck of cards)
	1 grain= 1 slice bread, presliced (about the size of a cassette tape) or 1/2 cup pasta (about the size of an adult woman's palm, stacked 1" high)
	1 dairy serving=8 ounces (the size of a container of individual yogurt)
	1 vegetable serving = 1/2 cup cooked or canned vegetables (about ½ a baseball)
	1 fat serving= 1 teaspoon (about the size of 4 stacked dimes)