Everything in Moderation: Portion Control

When it comes to food, it isn't what you eat, but how much you eat. After all, the French eat bread, chocolate, cheese, pasta and rich sauces, and France has the lowest obesity rate in all of Europe! How can this be?! The secret is a combination of moderation and portion control.

In a world where portion sizes continue to grow (along with our waistlines), determining the correct serving size can be tricky. In this post, I will teach you what an actual serving size of some common foods looks like by using a few simple visual aids.

Meat, Fish, and Poultry
Suggested Serving Size: 3-4 ounces
About the same size as a deck of cards.


Bread
Suggesting Serving Size: 1 ounce
About the same size as a CD.



Pasta, Rice, Veggies, Fruits
Suggested Serving Size: 1 cup
About the same size as your fist

Dairy
Cheese
Suggested Serving Size: 1 ounce
About the same size as 6 dice.

Ice Cream
Suggested Serving Size: 1/2 cup
About the size of a baseball
 

Peanut Butter
Suggested Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
About the size of a ping pong ball

Butter
Suggested Serving Size: 1 teaspoon
About the size of the tip of your thumb


So... are you surprised at how small some of these sizes are in comparison to what you normally consume as a serving? I challenge you to look at what you are eating over the next week, and see how it compares to these visual aids. I think you will be surprised at how much we tend to overestimate what a serving really is. Controlling portion sizes is an easy way to reduce calories while still enjoying your favorite foods.

Now, you may find that the correct serving size of your favorite food doesn't fill you up. I mean... did you see the picture of what 1 cup of pasta looks like? That's not going to do it for anyone. Adding a salad and a vegetable, such as broccoli, to your pasta dinner will fill you up without adding a bunch of calories to your meal.

For more information on channeling your inner skinny French girl, as well as some great recipes, visit French Women Don't Get Fat author Mireille Guiliano's website here!