Many experts agree that the main reason for the present weight problem in society today is people are consuming too much food. Much of the blame for overeating is through the size of the portions eaten where most of us don't know we're overeating. Food portion sizes over the years seem to have become distorted and many people frequently consume extra calories with each meal. Even a mere 20 additional calories eaten for 3 meals each day could mean a weight gain of up to 6 pounds a year!

It's so easy to consume the extra calories as more people eat out at restaurants or use fast food chains. The demand for value has driven many chains to provide bigger portions. The result is people rarely distinguish the difference between fast food restaurant portions and portion size at home.

Controlling portion sizes is one way to tackle a weight problem. It's easy for experts to say eat 5 portions of vegetables each day, or only eat 100 grams of this or that food but how do we determine the actual size of various foods to estimate the required portion size.

Methods for estimating portion sizes for various foods

Some experts use a method to estimate portion sizes of different foods. One good method is to use your hands as a measuring device. For example, cup your hands close together and use the area of space as a visual guide for all main meal carbohydrate foods such as rice, pasta, cereals, porridge, potatoes, etc.

The cupped hand guide can also be used to estimate portion size of all fruits and vegetables, however, portion sizes for vegetables and fruits do not have to be restricted in order to lose weight. Some people may benefit by eating extra portions of fruit or vegetable for the main meal as filling up on these low calorie foods may help stop overeating on the higher energy foods.

For all protein foods such as fish, meats, eggs and cheese and good portion guide is to use the palm of the hand. One boiled egg sliced up would nicely cover the palm making a good portion size for eggs. A palm sized piece of hard cheese with a thickness of half centimetre (5 mm) would contain about 120 calories. A palm size portion of tinned Tuna will weigh about 40 grams and contain about 38 calories per portion.

For oils and fats it may be best to use no more than one tablespoon of oil when cooking. For salad dressings try not to use more oil than vinegar or citrus juice, use as little as possible and preferably use extra virgin oil.

Another method to estimate a correct portion for main meals is to have half the plate full of vegetables, a quarter of the plate for protein source and a quarter for carbohydrate source. However, keep in mind that if you want to lose weight the size of the plate should be taken into account as well as the size of the individual. Generally bigger people should use bigger plates to limit cutting calories too much too soon. A person weighing only 150 pounds should be using a smaller plate than someone weighing 250 pounds. Only the individual can make a sensible estimation using their own circumstances.

All the above portion size estimates are only displayed as a guide and not intended as specific advice for all portions. Proper portion size will vary depending on the individual; therefore you should consult a qualified nutritionist in order to establish correct portion size for your needs!!