Ask a Dietitian

As seen February 25/03

Whether choosing to eat a sandwich at a deli or a steak and a steak house, knowing how much you are eating can help you keep track of your daily intake. What you are served at the table or in a restaurant is called a portion. The number of servings making up your portion can vary greatly. Typically, for most restaurant meals you can assume it says serves two beside each menu item. The portions at restaurants are getting so big and people are eating out so often, it is no wonder that we, as a population, are getting so big. So if portions sizes are actually weighing you down, here are some easy tips to help you figure out how many servings you are being served and then it is up to you to decide how much you will eat. Remember, smaller portions means fewer calories and eventually a reduction in body fat.

• If you are at home, consider using a measuring cup to see how much cereal you are actually eating every morning.
• Pour your juice into a measuring cup to see how much fluid your cup actually holds
• At restaurants, if you assume as I do that the meal serves two, consider splitting with a friend or taking leftovers for lunch the next day. You can even order a child’s portion.
• Eat food served on a plate or in a bowl! How are you supposed to keep track of how much food is going into your mouth if you never saw it all on the plate at once when you started. Often people will nibble while they cook and by the time dinner comes they are full, but often eat anyhow. Serve your snack foods on a small side plate to help bring some awareness as to how much you are nibbling on. Don’t eat out of the container and don’t take the whole bag of cookies to eat in front of the TV.
• Try to eat some snacks between your main meals to prevent overeating at your next meal. Snacks should come from the four food groups and should emphasize vegetables and fruit.
• Remember when reading food labels that manufacturers may consider a serving size to be 50g for one cereal and 30g for another so when comparing products also compare serving sizes.
• If you can’t measure your serving sizes try using these tips to help estimate how much you are actually eating:
  100g/3oz meat, fish or poultry = 1 deck of cards or a computer mouse
  1 tsp butter/margarine = top joint of your thumb
  3/4 cup dried beans/lentils = 1 standard 60 watt light bulb
  3/4 cup yogurt = 1 standard yogurt cup
  2 Tbsp Peanut Butter = 1 golf ball
  50g/1 1/2 oz cheese = 2 thumbs (both joints)
  medium fruit or vegetable = 1 tennis ball
  1 cup cereal = 1 closed fist (woman’s fist is more exact)

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on Global TV’s Noon News Hour!