MONTHLY WELLNESS TIP
M A R C H
YOU ARE “HOW MUCH” YOU EAT
TIPS FOR PORTION CONTROL
Learning how to estimate portion size and identify
servings can go a long way to helping lose weight or
maintain a healthy weight.
It starts with knowing the difference between a
portion and a serving. According to National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute, a "portion" is the amount
of a specific food you choose to eat for a meal or
snack. You also choose the size of a portion – same,
bigger or smaller than the recommended food
“serving”.
A "serving" is a standardized measure used to
describe the amount of food recommended from
each food group and listed on the Nutrition Facts
panel on packaged food. It is also the amount of
food recommended in the Food Guide Pyramid and
the Dietary Guidelines established by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). For example, 6-11
servings of whole grains are recommended daily. A
recommended serving of whole grains is one slice of
bread or ½ cup of rice or pasta.
As a general rule, choosing foods by serving size will
help maintain good portion control. Learn how to
“eye ball a serving”. Here are some ideas for how to
equate a serving with some common everyday items.
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A woman's fist or baseball is the size of one
serving of vegetables or fruit.
A rounded handful is a good measure for a
snack serving, such as chips or pretzels.
A deck of cards or the palm of your hand (don't
count your fingers!) equals a serving of meat or
poultry. One chicken breast, ¼ pound hamburger
patty or a medium pork chop equals one serving
of protein.
A golf ball or large egg equals one-quarter cup of
dried fruit or nuts.
A tennis ball usually equals about one half cup of
ice cream.
A compact disc (CD) is about the size of one
serving of pancake or small waffle.
2 0 0 6
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Use your thumb tip to measure one teaspoon of
peanut butter.
One serving of cheese equals the size of six dice.
One serving of fish (approximately 3 oz.) equals
the size of a checkbook.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO TO FIGHT THE
BATTLE OF THE “BULGING” PORTION?
Learn to read food labels. Pay attention to the number
of servings contained in the package, and then note
the calorie and fat content per serving. If the label on
a large muffin, for example, says two servings: 250
calories and 10 grams of fat per serving, know that
you will have consumed 500 calories and 20 grams
of fat if you eat the entire muffin!
Compare restaurant portions to recommended serving
sizes. If you eat a restaurant portion of something say a bagel; compare its size to what's
recommended on the food pyramid. A standard
bagel is two ounces, and counts as two servings
from the bread/cereal/grain food group. A
restaurant or neighborhood bakery bagel weighs
nearly six ounces and counts as six servings of grain.
A pasta dinner from your favorite restaurant might
add up to six or more servings of grains as well. If
you eat a 12-ounce steak for dinner, you've
consumed three ounces more than the recommended
daily serving of protein in one meal!
Instead of “super sizing” it…right size it! Repackage
super size bags of food and snacks into serving
sizes. Super size bags may be more economical, but
they can also encourage you to overeat. If you buy
huge bags of chips or pretzels, for example,
repackage the contents into smaller containers. You
are much less likely to eat 12 zipper bags of pretzels
than you are to unconsciously consume nearly a
whole super size bag. Some food companies are
marketing smaller prepackaged snacks that make it
easier to snack in moderation, too.
KGA, INC. (KATHLEEN GREER ASSOCIATES) 800.648.9557 www.kgreer.com
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MONTHLY WELLNESS TIP
Eat half or less. A recent study of the National
Restaurant Association found an interesting
component of consumer demand: the use of the
expression "Would you please wrap this up?"
Restaurant diners have increasingly come to realize
the value of turning "tonight's meal into tomorrow's
lunch," and are having a portion of their meals
wrapped up to take home at the beginning of the
meal.
Finally, when eating at home use a smaller plate. Your
plate will look full, but you'll be eating less.
For more ideas, support and information about
nutrition, visit our website at www.kgreer.com. To
connect to an EAP counselor call 1-800-648-9557
24 hours a day 7 days a week. Our counselors are
here to help.
S o u r ces: Data from N ational Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute, Portion Distortion and Serving Size (2006);
National Restaurant Association, Restaurants Offer Millions
of Ways to Prepare Food the Way Consumers Want, (2000);
Jennifer C. Smith, The Monitor, Portion Control (2006);
Jennifer R. Scott, Your Guide to Weight Loss, Top 10
Ways to Control Portions (2005).
RAISING RESPONSIBLE ADULTS
As your child grows toward adulthood, parenting
can bring with it more questions than answers.
‘Tweens and teens face greater school pressures,
more responsibility, and are more likely to come in
contact with negative influences outside the home.
Parents are faced with the delicate balance of giving
greater freedoms while setting realistic limits. The
added stress of working, single parenting and
blended families can make these situations even
more challenging. The KGA EAP/Work-Life website
is here to help. Click on Parenting to find the article
Teens and Depression under the section Child
Mental Health. Check out our searchable databases
for camping and volunteer opportunities for
teenagers. Find report cards on your child’s school
under the Education section. Let us help you Raise a
Responsible Adult.
MARCH WEBINAR
“Life Skills for Teens” is scheduled for Tuesday,
March 21st from 8-9pm EST.
The webinar is an eye-opener for both parents and
teens; we encourage you to view the webinar
together. Parents - learn how to encourage
responsibility in your teen. Teens - learn how to gain
your parent's trust and benefit from greater
independence and respect. See details and login
instructions below.
You can register via the KGA EAP/Work-Life
website using these instructions, or your
organization may have direct access through your
intranet:
1. Go to www.kgreer.com.
2. Click on the purple EAP Member Login button.
3. Login using your company's three (or four) letter
username and password (9557).
4. Scroll to the bottom right-hand portion of the
screen and click on the first link in the events
section.
Or, call KGA @ 508-879-2093 to speak with one of
our counselors.
“Communicating Effectively with Children” or on
Adolescent Health for articles on drug and alcohol
use. Also under Parenting, find links to parenting
resources you can really use. Listen to audio on
KGA, INC. (KATHLEEN GREER ASSOCIATES ) 800.648.9557 www.kgreer.com
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