Portion Sizes Anyone Can Understand
Determining portion sizes can be tricky. How big is a medium-size potato? What’s an average bagel? How much pasta fits in a cup? Here is an easier way to get the portion sizes right:
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 (1)  A medium potato is as big (or small) as a computer mouse.
 (2) Three ounces of meat equal the size of a deck of cards.
 (3) One ounce of chips or pretzels fits in the palm of your hand.
 (4) A medium-size bagel is no larger than a hockey puck.
 (5) Three ounces of grilled fish are the size of a checkbook.
 (6) One cup of pasta is the same size as a tennis ball.
 (7) One half cup of cooked rice fits in a cupcake wrapper.
 (8)  A cup of fruit is about as big as a baseball.
 (9)  A pancake should be no bigger than a compact disc.
(10) A teaspoon of oil or butter should be no larger than the tip of your thumb.
(11) Two tablespoons of salad dressing fill a golf ball.
(12) An ounce of cheese looks like a pair of dice.
These, of course, are only a few samples to help you determine appropriate portion sizes. Similarly, you can use the size of a baseball to measure the right serving sizes of cereal, popcorn and most vegetable servings. The size of a deck of cards is also appropriate for most poultry and meat dishes. Fish dishes can be served safely in the size of a check book, and hockey pucks are good for measuring biscuits and other pastries. If you like nuts, limit your serving sizes to golf balls. Tennis balls are right for beans and legumes. Compact disc sizes are about right for most lunch meats. Cookies and sweets should be limited to something smaller than what we have among our samples shown above. Think poker chips or one dollar coins.
