Portion control

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As we sail into the season of giving, let’s face it; it’s also the season of eating. Feasting on large portions of food and snacking on sweet treats will really get to you if you don’t know how to control your portions. This is something that will sneak up on you if you don’t pay attention.

The basic items to compare your portions to are:

• A deck of playing cards = one serving (three or four ounces) of meat, poultry, or fish.
• Half to a whole baseball = one serving of fruit, vegetables, pasta, or rice.
• One domino = one serving (one ounce) of cheese.
• One tennis ball = one serving (one cup) of yogurt or chopped fresh greens.
• One golf ball = one serving (2 tbsp.) peanut butter, jam or salad dressing.
• One die = one serving (one tsp.) of butter.

Some helpful tips on keeping your portions relatively small:

• Eat breakfast every day.
• Eat three smaller meals with two light snacks between meals.
• Pay attention to what you are eating and fully enjoy the smell and taste of your foods.
• Eat slowly so your brain can get the message that your stomach is full.
• Take seconds of vegetables or salads instead of higher-fat, higher-calorie parts of a meal such as meats or desserts.
• Avoid eating in front of the TV or while busy with other activities like gaming. It’s easy to get distracted and lose track of how much you’ve eaten.
• If you eat out get a doggie bag for half of your meal.
• Or, if you eat out split a meal or dessert with a friend.
• Ask for salad dressing, butter, and sauces on the side so you can control how much you use.
• Break down leftovers.