Sizing Things Up
What do a tennis ball, an ice cream scoop, and a deck of cards have in common? Read on and find out.
Reporting on a joint US/Canada survey, Stats Canada states that approximately 15% of Canadians were classified as obese, compared with 21% of Americans. “Super-sizing,” whether intentional or not, carries part of the blame. So, it’s important to take charge and get savvy about portion sizes, to make sure you’re getting the recommended servings per day.
Here are the serving sizes of a few common foods:
- One medium apple, pear, or peach—about the size of a tennis ball—constitutes a single serving.
- One ice cream scoop (about ½ cup) of cut-up fruit or vegetables, whether fresh, canned, or frozen makes a single serving. That same scoop filled with dried fruit equals two servings.
- Berries depend on type and size, but generally call for ½ to ¾ cup per serving.
- A single serving of salad greens is about the amount you can hold in your cupped hands.
- An ice cream scoop also comes in handy when figuring the size of a single serving of pasta, cooked rice, or hot cereal.
- A handful of ready-to-eat cereal makes approximately one serving of grains, as does 1 slice of whole wheat bread, or one-half bagel.
- Use two fingers or two dominoes to estimate a single serving of cheese.
- A deck of cards approximates a single serving (2 to 3 oz.) of lean meat, poultry, or fish.
- For each ounce of meat, you can substitute one egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Or bring out that versatile ice cream scoop again and fill it with tofu or beans; each scoop is equivalent to 1 oz. of meat or fish.
Remember, eating 120 extra calories per day can produce a weight gain of 12 lbs/year. Learn to eyeball what constitutes a serving and also be sure to check out nutritional labels.
