Portions Servings and Good Healthy Guidelines

Source

Here is a summary of my Weight Watchers meeting February 22, 2011.

Due to the fact that our new PointsPlus program has been such a huge hit, we have sold out of PointsPlus calculators. Until our stock can be replenished you can find your free online version of the calculator at www.weightwatchers.com/calculator

Now this week in the meeting room we talked about measuring our portion sizes. You saw with your own eyes how much of a huge difference just a little more of your foods can make pointsplus wise. You also got to see our very own electronic food scale in action. In fact, you guys bought out our supply of scales and easy measure sets. If you were not able to get a scale or the easy measure set because we sold out…never fear we have placed another order for these items and we should have them back in the meeting room soon!

The best place for you to learn proper portion sizes is by practicing at home-

The more familiar you are with adequate portion sizes there, the easier it is to estimate portion sizes when you're eating out. Here's how to set up your home environment:

o Keep measuring tools handy. Set up your cooking/eating area so that measuring tools are easily available and in plain sight. Place measuring cups in the silverware drawer as a reminder to check portions now and then!

o Measure liquid and solids differently. There are different measuring systems for liquids and solids (i.e. for solids, 16 ounces equals one pound, and with liquids eight fluid ounces equals one fluid cup). The best tool for solid measure is a food scale or baking/dry measuring cups. For liquid measure, a clear glass or plastic measuring cup with cup- and fluid ounce-markings on the side gives additional room at the top so liquids won't spill over.

o Measure accurately. Whether you're using a tablespoon or cup, it should be leveled off. And the best measuring spoons and cups are ones that can be squared off for easy leveling.

o Note the actual size of your dinnerware and cups. Figure out what correct servings (for example, a three-ounce piece of chicken next to a one-cup serving of spinach) look like on your plates. Tip: If you have a smaller plate such as a salad or dessert plate, using it instead of a larger dinner plate might make you feel as if you're having more food.

o Store foods in individual serving sizes. After you buy bulk-size packages of food, portion out correct serving sizes. For example, if you purchase an extra large bag of pretzels, use plastic baggies to portion it into single servings. The same goes for large packages of poultry and meat – divide it into single servings right away for easy cooking or freezing.

o Check the actual serving size. When eating packaged foods or drinks, be aware that a package or bottle probably contains more than one serving, perhaps more than two. When cooking from recipes, be mindful of serving sizes and how many servings a recipe actually makes.

o Learn to relate common household objects to proper serving sizes.

o Recognize and practice getting in your Good Healthy Guidelines (Page 61 of your getting started book)

What's a serving size?
1. Fruits, vegetables and leafy greens
Serving sizes are 1 cup for leafy greens and 1/2 cup for all other vegetables and fruits. The lettuce alone in a large salad may well count for 2 or more vegetable servings. The default portion for most fruits and vegetables when tracking on e-tools is one cup.

2. Packaged whole grains
Use the nutrition label to determine the serving size of packaged whole grain foods.

3. Milk and dairy
If you are more than 50 years old or are a teenager or a nursing mom, increase milk servings to three each day. Examples of one milk serving include 1 cup of milk or yogurt (which is 8 ounces) or 1 1/2 ounces of many cheeses. So just one container of 6oz of yogurt does not meet a full serving.

4. Healthy oils
Having 2 teaspoons of healthy oil each day ensures that you get the vitamin E and essential fatty acids that your body needs. Use the oil on salads, in cooking or as an ingredient in a mixed dish. Two teaspoons of oil is not even 1 tablespoon, so be careful to measure, since each additional teaspoon counts as another PointsPlus value of 1.

5. Lean meat and fish
A serving of lean meat or fish is generally 3 to 4 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards or for thin fish about the length of a checkbook.

6. Water
Six 8-ounce glasses of water is just 3 standard 16-ounce bottles. So go out and start hydrating