Portion control important to weight loss

Mariel Morales is a registered dietitian on staff at Banner Estrella Medical Center.

Question: You hear a lot about portion control on the news when they talk about weight. What are recommended portion sizes to stay healthy?

Answer: As more people become clinically overweight or obese in America, the news has focused on portion sizes and what it means to our diets.

First, to clarify, the word diet. Diet has a different association than its true meaning. A diet is not a way to lose weight or a way to control your weight but your actual eating program. To have a healthy diet, you must count your calories and control your portion sizes, otherwise known as your serving size. Most foods can be included in a diet in moderation if portions are controlled.

So what is a portion? For snacks and treats, you should eat only one serving of the recommended serving size as displayed on the products Nutrition Facts label. Items such as meat, vegetables and fruit are a little more subjective. A healthy portion of meat would be about the size of your palm. A healthy portion of frest fruits and/or vegetables would be approximately a cup at up to five cups per day. A healthy portion of canned fruit or cooked vegetables would be ½ cup per serving.

Here are some visuals to help you understand the size of a true portion.

• ½ cup of canned fruit looks like half a tennis ball
• 3 ounces of meat, fish or chicken is about the size of a deck of cards
• 1 ounce of cheese is about the size of a thumb
• 1 teaspoon of oil is about the size of a thumb tip

Therefore, in our supersized world, it is important to look beyond cleaning your plate and recognize just how much food you are putting into your mouth. To cut down on calories—which in turn will cut down on weight—eat only half your meal and package the rest immediately to have for lunch the next day. Split an entrée with a friend. Ask for all sauces, dressings and gravy on the side and dip your fork before spearing your food instead of pouring your condiment onto your food.

Remember, eating too much fat does not make you fat. It is eating too many calories that leads to obesity and, in turn, other serious health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or heart disease.