Savor the Flavor Tip #3 Watch Your Portions

We are a bigger is better society.  Everyone is looking for a bargain and when we go out we want a huge plate of food for our money.  This mentality is one factor in the obesity problem in the United States.  Limit portion sizes for high calorie foods.  Get out the measuring cups and see how close your portions are to the recommended serving size.  A serving of meat is about 3 ounces or the size of a deck of playing cards.  Servings of cheese is about the size of 3 dominoes.   Salad Dressing, Mayo are 1 Tablespoon.  Servings of rice, pasta, cereal, fruits and vegetables is 1/2 cup.  Look at your plate, are you eating large portions?  Use half your plate for fruits and vegetables and the other half for grains and lean protein foods.  Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients.  They will help fill you up so eat larger portions of those foods.  To complete the meal, add a serving of fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt.  Experiment with your glasses by filling them with water and then measuring the water.  Make sure you are using smaller glasses for high calorie drinks and the large ones for water.  Another trick to help you is to use smaller plates.  Your eyes will think your getting more food.  Every few months take the time to measure food, so you can remind your eye how much each portion size should be.