Evaluating Our Portion Size: The We Eating Too Much?

The obesity rate in America continues to rise and the years go by. Between our fast paced culture and all the wonderful foods that are so easily at our fingertips, it is no wonder that obesity is climbing. According to the USDA, we as a culture are gaining weight because of a lack of portion control. A recent article in Fitness magazine reported that Americans are eating more calories per day than we were years ago. That adds up to an extra pounds per person per year. Changing our portion size seems to be synonymous with weight control. To help give you a better idea of what different portion sizes should look like, use these suggestions: Peanut butter should look like one Oreo cookie. Dry spaghetti should look like the diameter of a quarter. A bagel should look like a six-ounce can of tuna. An oat bran muffin should look like a tennis ball. Mashed potatoes should look like a half a baseball. Fruit juice should look like a container of yogurt. Swiss cheese should look like a pair of dice. Meat, chicken or fish should look like a deck of cards. Low fat vanilla ice cream should look like a half an orange. Dry roasted peanuts should look like one and a half golf balls. Low fat granola should look like one fist. Potato chips should look like half a grapefruit. Just by making small adjustments in our portion size, we will see less calories in our diet and the potential to drop those extra pounds! Yours in healthy living, Colleen Palati colleen@healthyrevelations.com Douglas Fir Drive Pittsburgh, PA