On your way to work, you may stop by Starbucks for a Grande skim milk latte and a jumbo low-fat blueberry muffin. For lunch, you opt for the “healthier” option and get a five dollar foot-long Subway sandwich and a large diet soda. At the end of your day, you pour a large glass of red wine because studies show that it is good for us.
These may seem like “healthy” choices, but let’s take a closer look at these meals. Do you notice anything? They are all… LARGE (super sized, jumbo, value sized, or whatever you want to call it). You may have chosen low-fat or diet options, but these portion distortions may be sabotaging your health and any weight loss efforts.
Portion sizes across the country have reached new astronomical heights. Many of us have gotten so accustomed to 32 ounce beverage cups and half pound hamburgers, that when food is served in their proper portion sizes, we complain that the restaurants are being stingy.
To help achieve your h
ealthy eating habits, now is a great time to start training your eyes to instinctively know what a proper portion size looks like. The most accurate way to measure your portion sizes is by using your kitchen tools. By using your measuring cup, measuring spoons, and kitchen scale a few times, you will learn what a portion size visually looks like. Measure out half a cup of cooked pasta (which is one serving) and put it on your plate. Try to remember how much of the plate it covers so you can eyeball it next time.
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