Portions...Do you Really know how much you are eating? Those small portions we see are what a "serving size" is supposed to look like. One bag, one carton or one tub does not equal ONE serving. And sometimes one muffin is not even one serving, but sometimes 2-3 servings. A "portion" is how much food you choose to eat at one time. A "serving size" is the amount of food listed on a product's Nutrition Facts. It is a quick way of letting you know the calories & nutrients in a certain amount of food. These days a portion size & serving size rarely match up! American foods have become super-sized!

A good way to "eyeball" your portions are to compare them to everyday items.

1 cup of cereal = a fist 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, potato = 1/2 baseball 1 baked potato = a fist 1 medium fruit = a baseball 1/2 cup of fresh fruit = 1/2 baseball 1.5 oz of cheese = 4 stacked dice 1/2 cup of ice cream = 1/2 baseball 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter = a ping-pong ball

These amounts will help you check yourself when it comes to portions & what you are eating. Try the other ideas to help you control your portions at home & when dining out:

1. Don't leave tempting food out on the counter...wrap it up & put it away. ( this would be anything with frosting in my case :)
2. Doggie-bag it at restaurants.
3. Order kiddie-sized meals at restaurants. It is built-in portion control. You may have to say your "kids are in the car" if they question you :)
4. Order 2 appetizers instead of a large meal.
5. Minimize bargin temptations....it seems most foods sold in giant tubs/bags are foods that are highly processed and should not be part of our diet anyway.
6. Plate your food before sitting down to the table. There is much less temptation without the platter of food in front of you...seconds anyone?
7. Eat slowly so that your brain knows it's full.
8. Stock up on smaller plates. A salad plate filled to the brim feels like a lot of food vs. a half-empty huge dinner plate which spells deprivation.

All of these tips are just to make you aware as you sit down to eat throughout the day. As always, slow down & enjoy your meal.