Portion-wise eating means having your cake and eating it, too.
Everything can be enjoyed - in moderation.
But this advice is more difficult to follow than ever. Oversized food portions and drinks are everywhere. Gone are the days of feasting when food is available, not knowing when famine will hit. We have 24-hour access to food everywhere.
Most of us eat at least three times a day, and if weight loss is the goal, smaller meals with healthy snacks in between are advised. We don't have to approach any given meal or snack like it's the last chance ever to eat. Even if it's a special occasion, keep in mind there will be others.
When working on weight loss, remember the tennis ball tip.
One tennis ball is a great example of how much to eat - especially with starchy foods. Bread, rice, pasta and muffins for example are best kept to tennis ball size.
A healthy daily total for such grain products is six servings - ideally most should be whole grains. Highly active people will require more. The fuzzy green ball also represents a healthy portion of fruits or vegetables. Aim for seven or more daily. With milk products, eight ounces of milk or 175 grams of yogurt are considered one serving; a tennis ball is a reasonable reference.
Adults need two to three servings each day.
As a minimum, all adults over 50 should take 400 IU of vitamin D daily. Aim for about 1,500 milligrams a day of calcium. Keep cheese portions to an ounce and half, about the size of two thumbs side by side. Portions of protein-rich meat and alternatives should be about the size of a deck of cards or three to four ounces.
Adults need two or three servings a day.
Nutrition consultant Patricia Chuey can be reached through patriciachuey.com.
