Healthy Living

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

A "handy" guide to portion sizes

With out of control portion sizes these days, it may be hard to keep track of how much of which foods you should have each day, let alone have to measure it all.  Now, you can easily visualize portion sizes, thanks to this “handy” guide from the USDA!



A fist or cupped hand = 1 cup

For example:
1 serving = 1/2 cup cereal, cooked pasta, or rice
OR 1 cup of raw, leafy green vegetables
OR 1/2 cup of chopped fruits or vegetables




A thumb = 1 ounce of cheese



Handful = 1-2 ounces of snack food
Remember, 1 handful = 1 ounce of nuts and small candies. For chips and pretzels, 2 handfuls = 1 ounce




Palm = 3 ounces of meat





Thumb Tip = 1 teaspoon
Keep high fat foods like mayonnaise to a minimum by measuring the serving with your thumb. One teaspoon is equal to the end of your thumb, from the knuckle up. Three teaspoons equals one tablespoon.





1 tennis ball = 1 serving of fruit
Healthy diets should include 2-4 servings of fruit each day.

***Important Note: Because hand sizes vary, compare your fist size to an actual measuring cup.

I must say, this is the best portion size guide I’ve seen in awhile, hands down! :)

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From the Community…

Comments 1-10 of 12
  • Katie B's Avatar
    Posted by Katie B Wed Aug 26, 2009 7:05am PDT

    I was going to say... what about those of us that have pretty small hands.. ;D

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  • Brett Blumenthal - Sheer Balance's Avatar
    Posted by Brett Blumenthal - Sheer Balance Wed Aug 26, 2009 7:27am PDT

    Actually, this was FIRST made popular by the Portion Teller...Lisa Young

    Report Abuse
  • Jett's Avatar
    Posted by Jett Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:01am PDT

    What? That doesn't make sense. First you say 1 cup is a serving, but then you say 1/2 cup of rice or cereal is a serving. This is why I'm always so confused about portion sizes!

    Report Abuse
  • FatFighterTV's Avatar
    Posted by FatFighterTV Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:25pm PDT

    Portion Teller, huh? Don't know of her, but I will check her out!

    Report Abuse
  • shaken00's Avatar
    Posted by shaken00 Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:11pm PDT

    I love the concept, but don't understand how this works when everyone comes in different shapes and sizes.

    More often than not, the size of a 5'4" average size woman's hand is not going to be the size of a 6' tall man's hand. And then there is everything in above, beyond and in between. I am a 5'9" woman who has bigger hands than most females, so how does this equate to me? kwim?

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  • Crazy's Avatar
    Posted by Crazy Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:18pm PDT

    Well, this does work because it will portion sizes to fit the people. A 5'4" woman needs less calories (on average) compared to a 6' man. So if they both follow this, they both will get about what they need. And this isn't an exact science, it's a general guide to those who think a piece of steak that's the size of a PLATE is a serving. It's a good beginning point for some one!

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  • Jill R.'s Avatar
    Posted by Jill R. Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:15pm PDT

    I was told a billiard ball = 1/2 cup, an egg = 1/4 cup, a baseball = 1 cup, pair of dice = one ounce.

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  • 's Avatar
    Posted by Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:01pm PDT

    Approx 90% of Americans eat to much and then wonder why they can't lose weight, I applaud and respect the comment that this is why she is so confused, for one thing the USDA needs to stop treating the American people as school kids, were adults talk to us like adults and we may understand what your are trying to get across, Hey here is a fresh idea, instead of trying to get the portion size correct try to eat what your body and brain needs to be healthy, but wait that would mean eating natural unprocessed foods, I promise you in a few months you will never eat as much as you eat today, you will have energy a clear mind, and then you will get mad!! why will you get mad? because it is a lot easier then it seems, only eat food's that your body and mind needs to be healthy, drink water!! over two liters for woman and over 3 liters for man, and of course try to exercise 3 times a week at least.

    Good Luck and enjoy your new life

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  • Tracy Lord's Avatar
    Posted by Tracy Lord Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:40am PDT

    living abroad with access to farm products way beyond what's available at US supermarkets I can only say that to me the single biggest impediment to eating as Larry says, fresh & unprocessed, is the possibility of finding truly GOOD TASTING fruits & vegetables. Friends let's face it the diff. between a good apple & a so-so apple EQUALS the diff between actually eating it & not eating it. & most supermarket fruits & veggies are of the so-so category. thus so many jokes about all that produce rotting in the bottom of the fridge.

    What to do?

    only solution: find your source of truly palate-friendly produce & even if it's a long way away, go the distance. once a week is enough to load up what you need for the family. since the only way to eat your way to health & a reasonable weight is LOTS of produce all the time, make sure it TASTES GOOD!! how far do you have to go to get GOOD apples? that's how far you have to go to eat right, unfortch!!

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  • wayne's Avatar
    Posted by wayne Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:08am PDT

    is this portion for one day or one meal?

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