With grocery costs skyrocketing, I have been reducing the serving sizes here at home. I think many folks are doing this, not only for their budgets, but for their general health, as well. I ran across the following information while going through some of the old paperwork from my daycare, and thought I would share it with you here. It takes a bit of the mystery out of portion controls! I received this in a packet from the River Valley Family Day Care Food Program a few years ago...
3 ounces of meat is about the size and thickness of a deck of playing cards or an audiotape cassette.
A medium apple or peach is about the size of a tennis ball.
1 ounce of cheese is about the size of 4 stacked dice (2 side by side and 2 more stacked on top of those).
1/2 cup of ice cream is about the size of a racquetball or tennis ball.
1 cup of mashed potatoes or broccoli is about the size of your fist.
1 teaspoon of butter or peanut butter is about the size of the tip of your thumb.
1 ounce of nuts or small candies equals one handful.
MOST IMPORTANT:
Especially if you're cutting calories, remember to keep your diet nutritious!
2-4 servings from the Milk Group for calcium
2-3 servings from the Meat Group for iron.
3-5 servings from the Vegetable Group for Vitamin A.
another way to limit portions is to eat one serving of lasagne (for example), then wait 15 minutes before taking another HALF piece - sometimes our bodies take that long to register a "full" feeling instead of a "hungry" feeling.
Untitled Comment
Posted by gabbie427 on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 4:11 PM - Link
We have been reducing serving sizes in our household as well for both of the reasons you have posted here!!! Thanks for posting this!
This weblog will be a compilation of happening's here in my home. I will be including homemaking tips, recipes, and encouragement for the homemaker who realizes she is a God-ordained Keeper of her Home.
You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.
