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Portion size is key to healthy eatingPeople might tend to overeat during winter months or during holidays and special occasions. The foods themselves are not the issue, it's the amounts we eat that can be a problem. Overeating has been linked to weight gain and obesity, which can contribute to such health issues as joint problems, cardiovascular concerns, Type 2 diabetes, and more. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a guideline for healthy eating, called the Food Guide Pyramid, that includes daily recommended servings for the major food groups. What people need to know when using the guide to eat healthfully is that serving sizes are smaller than most think. For example, 10 French fries is considered one standard serving. A typical portion of French fries from a fast-food restaurant may be large enough for a family of four to share. For smaller children, the size of one serving of fruits and vegetables is one tablespoon per year of age. This is not a large amount of food. It's easy for us and our children to get five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, for example, if we know what we're looking at in terms of portion sizes. Some other guidelines for estimating portions that equal one serving include the following: --A lightbulb is similar in size to one serving of broccoli. --A deck of cards is similar in size to a 3-ounce serving of cooked meat (restaurant steaks may equal 3 or 4 servings.) --A cassette tape is similar in size to one standard serving from the grain group (for example, a small bagel or piece of bread.) --A nine-volt battery is similar in size to one standard serving of cheese (2 ounces) --A ping-pong ball is similar in size to one standard serving of peanut butter (2 tablespoons.) --A compact disk is similar to a standard size serving for one pancake. Date: 7/21/06
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