Ignorance is bliss. And bliss can make your jeans size increase exponentially.
Today’s task is to get familiar with appropriate portion sizes. Why? This will add a level of awareness to your eating. Challenge yourself to eat just one serving at a time.
Step 1:
Start by listing 10 foods you eat most frequently (think about items you buy every time you go to the grocery store). Your list might look something like this:
- Peanut butter
- Chicken breast
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Granola
- Asparagus
- Diet Coke
- Olive Oil
- Frozen pizza
- Ranch dressing
Step 2:
Next, check out the labels or nutrition information for each item. Note the serving size of each (you might want to note the calories as well).
- Peanut butter, 2 T., 190 Cal
- Chicken breast, 4 oz. cooked, 120 Cal
- Cheese, 1 oz., varies (about 100)
- Yogurt, 8 oz., 110 Cal
- Granola, ¼ c, 140 Cal
- Asparagus, 1 c, 27 Cal
- Diet Coke, 8 oz., 0 Cal
- Olive oil, 1 T., 119 Cal
- Frozen pizza, ¼ pizza, 300 Cal (Jack’s Supreme)
- Ranch dressing, 2 T., 148 Cal
Step 3:
Learn how to “eyeball” these portion sizes. Hint: they’re most likely WAY smaller than you expect.
Here’s a helpful guide courtesy of Nestle.com:
Discussion: (use the comments section below)
- Which serving size on your list was the most surprising? (for me it was the meat. 4 oz. of cooked meat is TINY. I realized I almost always eat 2 servings of meat at a time. To combat this, I buy chicken or ground turkey in bulk, trim them into 4 oz. portions, and store them individually in freezer bags)
- Which food on your list would you like to give up? (pizza and salad dressing for me)
- Which food on your list should you eat more of? (fruits and vegetables for me)
Other Helpful Resources:
http://web.mit.edu/athletics/sportsmedicine/wcrservings.html
Table 110 