Portion Size
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| Portion awareness is very important. Over the past 50
years, portion sizes of food sold in restaurants have grown 2 to 5 times in
size. One of the key ways to adjust your lifestyle and maintain your weight is
controlling your portion sizes. Even if you are not attempting to lose weight,
you should be aware of portion size. Research has shown that Americans often
underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25
percent. Learn these visual cues to estimate portions of your favorite foods. |
| Visual Cue |
Approximate Portion Size
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1 cup = size of a baseball or a woman's fist
Serving size for: green salad, frozen yogurt, medium piece of
fruit, baked potato
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1/2 cup(1 oz) = size of a rounded handful
Serving size for: cup fruit, cooked vegetables, pasta, rice,
pretzels, snack food
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1/4 cup = size of a golf ball or large egg
Serving size for: dried fruit, like raisins
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3 oz = size of a cassette tape
Serving size for: meat, poultry
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3 oz = size of a checkbook
Serving size for: grilled fish
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1-1/2 oz = size of 6 dice
Serving size for: cheese
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1 tablespoon = size of a thumb tip
Serving size for: mayonnaise
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1 teaspoon = size of 1 die
Serving size for: butter
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