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Public Health Solutions
District Health Department
995 East Hwy 33, Ste 1
Crete, NE 68333-2562
888.310.0565
Webmail »
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Health Promotion: Super-size Wise
Portion sizes are a very important part of maintaining a healthy weight. When more calories are taken in than are burned through physical activity, weight gain is the result - even if the food you eat is healthy! Likewise, eating one green bean doesn't mean you are 'good to go' for veges that day.
Trends for packaged and restaurant food have been 'go big or stay home', so rest assured if it comes in a package or is served to you at a restaurant, it's probably laden with considerably more calories than you'd find in a single, healthy serving.
Below is a rough guide to a few correct food portions, to get you started.
Typical Single Serving |
For Easy Visual Comparison... |
Meat, 3 ounces |
Deck of Cards |
Fruit, 1 piece (e.g. apple, peach) |
Tennis Ball |
Cheese, 1 ounce |
4 dice |
Ice Cream, 1/2 cup |
Tennis Ball |
Broccoli, 1 cup |
Closed Fist |
Mashed Potatoes, 1 cup |
Closed Fist |
Butter, 1 teaspoon |
Thumb |
Peanut Butter, 1 teaspoon |
Thumb |
Public Health Solutions has several visual aids for correct portion sizing, which may be borrowed for health education sessions on nutrition. 888-310-0565.
For more information on correct portion sizes and nutrition in general, check out the following sites:
WebMD's Portion Plate
Meals Matter
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's "Portion Distortion"
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