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How to "Eyeball" Portion Sizes

By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com

Updated: January 08, 2009

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Who wants to weigh foods to practice portion control? Not me! But not everyone has the ability to "eyeball" portions accurately. What if you're underestimating? Unexplained weight gain could result. So how do you keep those "guesstimated" portions in check? Just think of these every day household items.

A standard serving of...

  • cereal (1 c.) = a baseball
  • salad dressing (2 Tbsp.) = a shot glass
  • nuts (1 oz.) = a cupped palm
  • cheese (1 oz.) = a ping-pong ball
  • hamburger (3 oz.) = a mayo jar lid
  • peanut butter (1 tsp.) = one die
  • beef (3 oz.) = a bar of soap
  • rice (1/2 c.) = an ice cream scoop
  • potato = a computer mouse
  • dinner roll = a yo-yo
  • butter (1 tsp.) = a Scrabble tile
  • fruit (1 c.) = a tennis ball
  • cooked pasta (1/2 c.) = a golf ball
  • fish (3 oz.) = a checkbook
  • poultry (3 oz.) = a deck of playing cards
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