Figuring out portion control

It’s time to take control of our health (and our waistlines) by making sure we’re eating correct portions of the foods we need.

A great resource for portion sizes is Canada’s Food Guide. This simple guide provides clear definitions of serving sizes, or Daily Food Guide Servings:

Oils and fats

• 3 tablespoons of unsaturated fats each day

Vegetables and fruits

• 1/2 cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
• 1/2 cup of cooked leafy vegetables or 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
• 1/2 cup of 100% pure juice

Grain products

• 1 slice of bread
• 1/2 of a bagel, pita or tortilla
• 1/2 cup of cooked rice, bulgar, quinoa, pasta or couscous
• 3/4 cup of cold cereal

Milk and alternatives

• 1 cup of milk, powdered milk (reconstituted) or fortified soy beverage
• 1/2 cup of canned milk (evaporated)
• 3/4 cup of yogurt or kefir
• 1-1/2 ounces of cheese

Healthy foods: More is not better >>

Meat and alternatives

• 2-1/2 ounces or 1/2 cup of cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat
• 3/4 cup of cooked legumes or tofu
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of peanut or nut butters
• 1/4 cup of shelled nuts or seeds

• 1/4 cup = 2 golf balls
• 1/2 cup = 1 tennis ball
• 1 cup = 2 tennis balls

• 3/4 cup = 1 computer mouse
• 2 1/2 oz. (meat or fish) = 1 deck of cards

Measuring pasta serving sizes >>

Now that you know appropriate portion sizes, it’s time to talk about the other part of the “portion control” equation — the control. It’s one thing to know that one slice of bread equals one serving from the Grain Products category, but if you go through half a loaf in a day, your super-tight pants are going to tell you that something’s not quite right. Control comes from knowing how many daily servings you need from each of the food groups. Amounts vary based on age, sex and activity level, so refer to Canada’s Food Guide for specific recommendations.

Spring diet: Give your kitchen a healthy makeover >>

Put your knowledge of portion control into practice by tracking what you eat for meals and snacks. Grab a notebook, or download a personalized My Food Guide Servings Tracker from the Health Canada website. These simple tracking sheets are personalized based on sex and age group, and give you the appropriate number of checkboxes to make sure you’re getting the right amount of vegetables and fruits, grains, milk and alternatives, meat and alternatives and oils and fats each day.