Fri. Mar 06, 2009 | 11:56 AM

Learn what a serving size looks like in our super-sized world!

We live in a culture of ginormous portions and super-sized upgrades. As a result, we often overeat without realizing it. So, how much should we really be eating? CLICK HERE for a handy little card you can keep in your wallet that reveals proper serving sizes. You don't even need a measuring cup or scale -- we've used everyday items to help you compare.

Measure portion sizes is your hand

- One serving of protein should be about the size of your palm.
- One serving of veggies should be the size of two fists.
- Starchy items like cooked pasta, rice or potatoes should be the size of a tightly clenched fist.

You can also visualize proper food sizes with The Portion Plate. The plate is divided into areas showing how much you are supposed to be consuming at mealtime.

Here are a few more helpful tips to keep your portions under control:

Make It a Two-fer: Your mid-day meal can work double duty if you share it with a friend, or put half into a takeout box right away so you can enjoy it as dinner later that night!

Single out Trigger Foods:
 Resist eating from the box or bag. Buy snack foods in single serving sizes or divvy up full size packages into smaller, individual bags to stop mindless snacking.

Say Yes to Salads:
 Eating a salad before lunch or dinner is a great way to fill up and keep from overeating.

Do you have a great tip for controlling the amount you eat? Help a sister out and share your secrets below!

XOXO,
Angelica


NEXT: Surviving a Break Up
related stories

 
tyra hey wuz up girl how u been doing good i hope just wonted to say i love ur show i watch it every day expect when u have reruns :)ha ha just wonted to say how much i look up to u u being a strong black woman how u dont care what people say about u. well im a young black 25yrs old i have been with i high school sweet hart since we were 16yrs old we have two kisd a boy and a girl there 1yr old and 3yr old and me and there dad been toghther for 8yrs now were not married yet i have been enggade for 3yrs but all that matter is we both love each other very much.i love ur show ur doing a great job and dont let any one tell u diffent keep ur head up girl.
Posted by Latoya Moran 03/08/09 11:50 AM
 
I have to say that I disagree with your card with the portions on it for having a healthy lifestyle. If you TRULY want a healthier lifestyle (to loose weight, to be Eco friendly, to PREVENT diseases that are food/environmentally related, and to live in a sustainable way), I highly recommend cutting out all the meat and dairy from your diet! There are MANY vegetarian starter kits out there, and most of them are 100% FREE!!! You do NOT need any animal products to live - you'd be surprised how easy it is, too. There's also GREAT literature and Scientific Data. My favorite book reference for people is "The China Study" by Dr. Campbell, PhD. This book tells you how the foods you eat impact your body, and how it can lead to SERIOUS disease. Eating a Vegan diet not only helps make you healthier, but it will make you FEEL better. There's so much more, but I don't want to preach. Thanks for your time, and I love your show. Live healthily and compassionately (to all creatures) ~Jamie
Posted by Jamie 03/07/09 7:29 PM
 
hey tyra..i jus wanna say ur an amazing woman of america and i watch your show every single day lol..im 16 years old and one of the episods that caught my attention was the one on teen getting pregnet...i hang out with much older ppl between(18-24)and like i said im 16 and i havnt even had my first boyfrind and im still a virgin and watt i think some of these girls need is not someone to tell them o hey your worth it..but to find the voice within and listin. i grew up in elizabeth new jersey and far from a disney land. but man sometimes i wish i could talk to those girls as a peer and tell them that a man can fill in a hole the inis them....because when older ppl come and tell its like o wattever its just another person but wen i look at girls that dont know watt they are doing and are ruining their lives i wish i could reach out to them....well i just want to say that thank u for your hard work and i enjoy watching ur show everyday love brontte
Posted by brontte 03/06/09 5:46 PM
 
eat slowly, it helps you digest the food and you will feel fuller.
Posted by anonymous 01/01/09 11:55 PM
 
HI TYRA I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS IS WHY THE WORLD AND THOSE MEAN PEOPLE WILL NEVER CHANGE LOOK AT YOUR COMMENT BOARDS HOW LOW CAN PEOPLE BE TO TALK BAD ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE THEY DONT KNOW..I LOVE THE SHOW BYE, LUCITA
Posted by LUCITA G 12/18/08 4:06 PM
 
Doesn't anyone use spell/grammar check before they post their comments? Tyra must be embarrassed that majority of her viewers are illiterate. She should do a show on that!
Posted by Sam 12/04/08 3:07 AM
 
i have lost 13 lbs in 2 months by: eating healthy, and running 20 mins every day for 5 days a week.
Posted by ashh 10/31/08 3:49 PM
 
HEY TYRA!!! WELL I THINK A GOOD WAY TO KEEP UR WEIGHT OFF IS BY EATING WAT U NORMALLY EAT BUT JUST HALF OF THAT AND LIKE THAT U WILL LOSE THE WAIT LITTLE BY LITTLE AND RUN EACH DAY FOR 30MIN OR ANY KIND OF EXERCISE FOR 30MIN WELL HOPE IT WORKS!!! LOVE UR SHOW TYRA!! SINCERELY: CHRISTINE
Posted by CHRISTINE 10/23/08 9:02 PM
 
Hi, everybody i have helpful suggetions one thing that people dont believe is that you can eat anything you want but there are some rules that you have to follow no distractions, no tv no hearing music while you are eating one thing you should try is closing your eyes and chewing slowly while you eat i know this sounds weird but try it ,it really works beacouse when you have distractions you eat so fast and you can barely taste the food leaving you wanting to eat even more. Once you follow these rules you may even find out that you dont like junk food or sweets because now you know what they taste like also try not to eat solate at night.
Posted by Rachelle 09/21/08 4:57 PM
 
Hey everyone! I have a helpful suggestion when you go out to eat. Get the kids meal! Its actually the right size portion, you'll get full and you won't feel bad after it! The right amount of pasta is 1 cup. Meaning when you go to restaurants, they give you about 3-4 cups. Scary huh?
Posted by Sarah 09/20/08 9:19 AM
 
Hi Tyra! My name is Tailila, and I am 36 years of age and I am a single mother of 5 wonderful boys. In 2003 I had a sstroke do too my high blood preasure, that I still have not gotten under control, I have changed my diet cut out salt, eating five small meals a day and trying to exsercise but I get tired so easy and so fast I am always feelng ill. I know that part of my problem is my weight i'm about 5"3 and I weigh 185lbs. can you pleae give some advice on what to do to get the weight off? I just want to get heathier for myself and my children!! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!
Posted by Tailila 09/11/08 4:20 PM
 
this is the most illiterate, scary, desperate comment board I have ever seen
Posted by max 09/10/08 10:55 AM
 
One of the diet tricks I've learned is too eat an apple before your meal. It's called the apple diet. It will help fill you up before the meal so you don't eat too much. It works like a charm! Another thing I thought of myself, is if you want dessert, eat it BEFORE dinner. I know it's like the cardinal rule for parents to wait until after dinner. But this way you will have more time to work off all that sugar. I also try to cut carbs as much as possible. I don't eat potatoes because of the starch, and I only eat 1 piece of toast with my cereal if any. I also avoid red meat and pork. I mainly eat just white meats and fish. If your thirsty late at night drink water. I also try to just avoid drinking soda. I mainly drink water and juice.
Posted by Sheryl 09/10/08 12:38 AM
 
Hi tyra! Well I’m not exactly sure if this is the right way to e-mail you or not, but this is my first time on your website and I couldn't really figure it out...anyways..I’m 15 and I have been searching for an organization that is safe to travel with and that will take me to Africa or some other place that is in poverty that I can volunteer at for a couple of weeks. I have always wanted to do something that would help others (such as joining the Peace Corps, habitat for humanity, the army reserve, or the National Guard). I have talked to my parents and they don’t want me to lose the amount of freedoms I would if I were to join a branch of the army, but they said that they would be willing to pay for me to travel somewhere to help others in need. after watching your show today about plastic surgery and the research that needs to be done in order to keep yourself out of danger, I have realized that I should probably do the same to find a legit organization that would provide and opportunity for me to do some volunteer work. I don’t necessarily want to travel out of the country, but I would love to travel out of state at the least. Tyra, I know that you have an extremely busy life, and may not get a chance to respond to my e-mail, but it would be extremely helpful if you could give me some suggestions. Thank you so much! ~whittney~
Posted by whittney 08/28/08 8:27 PM
 
Ok. One great advice is to definitely not put salt on anything. Salt is horrible and can make you retain a lot of water weight. I do not agree with eating a salad before the main course. I feel one should have a good filling appetizer that has protein such as edamame or peanuts. The salad should be eaten before the dessert. Sometimes when I want to skip dessert, I will chew orbit gum or eat chilled fruit.
Posted by Maria 08/07/08 3:31 PM



 (this will not appear)

(you may use HTML tags for style)

Back to Top »