Importance of portion control
The portion in the diet is considered the most important way of controlling or decreasing weight. It is portion control that has always been advised by doctors, nutritionists, and fitness experts which helps in effective weight control.
A lot of studies and observational data have been collected in favor of the fact that exercise alone cannot give as desirable and good results as the combination of exercise and portion control in diet can do. Sometimes, portion control becomes difficult to comprehend especially if you are a beginner. Plus, rules for portion control are always different for different age groups and health conditions.
Wallet-sized portion control guide
Wallet-sized portion control guide cards are specially made for quick guidance on the go. They are handy and easily kept for reference whenever you need to refer to some authentic source of information regarding the portion size of the food.
Another important use of the portion guide is during following a recipe. We do not always understand how much a cup of grains weighs in grams. So, if you come across a recipe where portion size is not easily detestable to you, you can open up your wallet-sized portion guide to know how much quantity the chef meant. Let’s have a look at some of the portion sizes and their comparison from this sample wallet-sized portion guide card.
Portion guide for fruits and vegetables.
One cup of strawberries means about 10-12 berries approximately. Similarly, one cup of carrots makes around ten to twelve baby carrots in a cup. Talking about a cup of salad, it is equal to the size of a baseball. One medium fruit also equals the size of a baseball.
Portion guide for grains
Grains are the most difficult food for measurement and comparison. A portion size guide makes it really simple for people to measure. For example, one cup of cereal measures and looks equal to the size of a baseball. A small pancake is equal to the size of the disk. Half a cup of pasta and a half cup of boiled rice are also equal to a light bulb roughly.
Oils and fats guide for potion
Oils and fats can also be measured in comparison because you can’t always shift them from one container to the measuring scale and then into the cooking pan. This wastes a lot of time, energy, and amount of food. So, some simple comparisons mentioned in the portion guide can be used to save your time and resources. For example, it is said that one tablespoon of oils, fats, butter, mayonnaise, or salad dressing is roughly equal to a poker chip.
Portion guide for fish, nuts, and others
Now, let’s have a look at the portion sizes of fish and nuts. Three ounces or 100 grams of lean meat is equal to a deck of cards. The same applies to fish as well. Half a cup of almonds is equal to around 12 almonds which are roughly the same for pistachios.
