10 Tips for Measuring Perfect Portion Sizes

Need help with portion control? Visual aids are a great way to make sure you are serving up a serving size, not two or three!

One serving of meat is about three ounces or roughly the size of a deck of cards.

A one cup serving of rice or pasta should be about the size of a tennis ball. You will fill up faster on grains if you will chose healthy whole grains whenever possible.

It takes about 850 peanuts to produce an 18 oz. jar of peanut butter so a little of the stuff packs a powerful protein punch! Two tablespoons, or about the size of a ping pong ball, is an appropriate portion size.

Veggies from all colors in the rainbow are an important part of a healthy diet. A serving of cooked veggies is a half a cup or about the size of a baseball.

Dried fruit keeps longer than fresh fruit but it also has 4-5 times the calories by weight. One serving of dried fruit is about ¼ cup or the size of a ping pong ball.

When not covered in cheese and sour cream, potatoes aren’t hard on the waistline and are high in potassium and vitamins C and B6. A perfectly portioned baked potato should be about the size of a computer mouse.

Don’t go for the cartoon sized stack of pancakes! One CD-sized pancake is the recommended serving size.

A few cheese cubes and some fruit is the perfect mini-meal between lunch and dinner. To make sure you are getting the right amount roll some dice. A serving of cheese is one ounce, the size of six dice.

Fish is another important way to get protein on your plate. Each serving of fish should be roughly three ounces, or the size of a checkbook.

Oils and fats should be used sparingly! A serving size is one teaspoon or about the size of your thumbnail.