Sometimes it's not what we eat, but how much that affects out ability to lose weight. Portion control can lead to healthy living and more effective dieting. Learn your limits and become healthier today.

Controlling the amount of food we eat may be one of the most difficult tasks many of us have in managing our weight. All too often we sit at the table to enjoy what starts as a healthy meal only to end up over-stuffed.  We believe because the food is healthy we can eat larger servings, but this is not true – calories are still calories.

If there is a downside to eating smaller meals it is that it makes for faster meals that lack in time for conversation and relaxation. For many families, dinner is the only time we have to relax, visit and catch-up with family and friends. We need to practice portion control so that we can eat what we should and then sit back and enjoy the experience.
 
Being aware of what constitutes a proper portion size is not easy to when you first start so included here is a practical list of tricks to help you know how much to eat unless you carry a scale everywhere you go.
 
1 serving (three ounces) of meat, poultry or fish = The size of a deck of playing cards or the palm of a woman's hand.

1 serving (one-half cup) of fruit, vegetables, pasta or rice = The size of a small fist.

1 serving (one ounce) of cheese = The size of your thumb.

1 serving (one cup) of milk, yogurt, or chopped fresh greens = The size of a small hand holding a tennis ball.

1 serving (one cup) of cereal = The size of a baseball.

1 serving (2 Tbsp) salad dressing = The size of a shot glass.

1 serving (1 ounce) nuts = The size of a cupped palm.

1 serving (1 tsp) peanut butter = The size of one die.

1 serving of potato = The size of a computer mouse.

1 serving (1 tsp) of butter = a Scrabble tile

Now that you have an idea of how much to eat, you need to know what amounts of each food to eat. The Food Guide Pyramid is an easy way to design a healthy eating plan that will ensure your body gets the daily nutritional requirements it needs. This is what you need to consume each day:
 

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta: 6-11 servings a day
1 serving = 1 slice of bread; 1/2 bagel; 1 oz. dry cereal; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta.

Vegetables: 3-5 servings a day

1 serving = 1 cup raw leafy greens, 1/2 cup any chopped vegetable, 3/4 cup veggie juice.

Fruits: 2-4 servings a day
1 serving = 1 medium apple, banana, or orange; 1/2 c chopped fruit or berries; 3/4 cup fruit juice.

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese: 2-4 servings a day
1 serving = 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 oz natural cheese, 2 oz processed cheese.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts: 2-3 servings a day
1 serving = 3 oz cooked lean meat, poultry or fish; 1 egg; 1/2 cup cooked beans; 2 tablespoons peanut butter, nuts or seeds.

Now you have the tools you need (Food Guide Pyramid and practical food portion measurements) to gain control over the amount of food you eat.

Here are some additional tips to help you out just a little bit more.

1. Don't go out to a restaurant starving.
2. At a restaurant, share your meal with a companion, and order extra salads so both get something green.
3. If you don’t want to share a meal, divide the meal into two servings and take one half home for another time.
4. When cooking at home, there are several portioning tools you can use, many of which you probably already have in your kitchen. And there are certain food products and packages that lend themselves to portion control.
• Snack-size baggies hold about 1 cup fully packed, and about 3/4 cup loosely packed. This is a good size for portioning crackers, nuts, pretzels, baked chips, dried fruit, turkey jerky, and cereal.
• Foil cupcake liners hold about 1/3 cup -- perfect for portioning baked goods and snack items.
• Mini foil pie pans are perfect for portioning side dishes and entrees.
• Large muffin cups (those that have about 6 cups per pan) will hold about 3/4 cup. That's just the right size for baking individual portions of entrees like quiche, shepherd's pie, chili cornbread casserole, etc.
• A ladle holds about 1/2 cup of liquid, great for portioning things like stew, chili, pasta and pasta sauce, and steamed rice.

More than anything, educate yourself and learn to listen to your body.  Eat when you are hungry, not just because it is that time of day when everyone else is eating.  Be sure to keep yourself hydrated.  All too often we are thirsty and the signal being sent from the brain is that we are hungry so we eat instead of doing what our body actually wants, which is a glass of calorie free water.

By Christina Leon, Staff Writer