Why is it that the streets of Paris are lined with svelte and stylish fashionistas, yet their cafes are filled with cream, cheese, and croissants – whereas every second ad in America is for a new weight-loss product, but we have the pudgiest population in the world? Portion control is the simple answer (fast food and giant food manufacturers is the bigger one, but I’ll save that for another post). A Parisian entree is less than half the size of a typical appetizer at Applebees. But with extreme eating and gonzo gastronomy gone wild, our idea of portion control is as out of wack as our expanding waistlines. It’s no secret that the amount of food on your plate is directly linked to your weight – and even if you’re eating healthfully, you can have too much of a good thing, but how much is too much?
WebMD has designed a portion control calculator that doesn’t involve toting around a set of scales everywhere you go. They use everyday objects like a baseball, a computer mouse, or a light bulb to indicate the correct portion for the entire gamut of gastronomical fare. Print out the refrigerator size portion guide and stick it to the fridge door to avoid eating its entire contents. If you’re away from the Sub Zero or the screen, there’s no need to overeat, you can print out a pocket size portion guide.
For example, don’t know the correct amount of mashed potatoes to eat per meal – serve your self up a light bulb sized portion of spuds.
Here are some other helpful portion hints:
1 ½ ounces of hard cheese = 3 dice
1 cup of cooked pasta = 1 baseball
½ cup of cooked rice = 1 light bulb
2 inch square brownie = 1 pack of dental floss
1 cookie = 2 poker chips
Click here to see the portion sizes of a slew of other foods.
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