52-Week Challenge: Week Twenty-Four

This week's challenge is entitled "Stop Portion Distortion."  America's obsession with being the biggest and therefore "the best" has had a devastating effect on our waistlines.  Restaurants, grocery stores, and fast food joints all over "value size," making it seem as if more is a better choice.  It's not.  In fact, its gotten to the point where most people don't even know what a REAL portion size is anymore.  Let's change that this week.

This is one challenge wear I hope you're following along in the book because the author has included some helpful photographs to to aid in learning how to eyeball what a portion size looks like.  I'll do my best to spell it out by food type.

FRESH FRUIT = 1 cup (or about the size of a woman's fist)

LEAFY VEGETABLES = 1 cup (the size of a baseball)

FIBROUS VEGETABLES = 1/2 cup (1/2 a baseball)

BREADS = (a CD case)

MEAT = 3 oz. (deck of cards)

FISH = 3 oz (computer mouse)

GRAINS, LEGUMES, and STARCHES = 1/2 cup (1/2 baseball)

DAIRY = cheese should be the size of a lipstick case; liquid dairy should be 1/2 of a baseball

It might best to measure your foods at first so you can get a feel for what a portion size should look like.  A pain, I know, but easier in the long run.  

Good luck!