How to Measure Portion Sizes

If you are watching your caloric and fat intake, you need to accurately measure your portion sizes. Many people think a portion size is much larger than it actually is and end up not knowing the correct nutritional values. While preparing your meals, you should keep the correct portion amounts in mind.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Use a measuring cup often when preparing your meals. Many foods recommend a cup as their portion size. So, if you are making pasta, measure out the pasta before you put it in the pot to get the right portion.

2. Measure your vegetables with your fist size. An average serving of fruit and vegetables corresponds to the size of a closed fist.

3. Visualize a deck of cards when serving your meat dish. The correct portion for most meats is roughly the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.

4. Get a set of measuring spoons. Measuring spoons can also be a useful tool to figure out portion sizes. Peanut butter and other spreads can be measured out with the spoons before you serve them.

5. Learn to eyeball correct portion sizes. After measuring out foods for awhile, you'll probably be able to look at an entrée to figure out the correct portion size.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use the USDA Food Pyramid to find out how many servings of each food you should consume daily.
• Portion control can be an effective way to lose weight. Also, serving smaller portions can help create less food waste.

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