You know that 3 ounces of steak is a healthy portion, but do you know what 3 ounces looks like? Can you tell at a glance how much a half a cup of potato salad is, or a cup of pasta? Here's your pictorial guide to portion sizes for your favorite foods. Look up foods by category or browse them all to find familiar visual cues to what a portion looks like. You'll be a master of portions in no time.

MEATS



Turkey

Deli-sliced turkey is a filling, nutritious choice with a low POINTS value.

A 3-ounce serving of ... is about the same size as

Steak, Hamburger (Ground Beef Patty)

A serving of meat is 3 ounces, but the POINTS value can vary depending on the type of meat. Lean cuts of meat have lower POINTS values than fatty cuts.

A 3-ounce serving of cooked lean beef is 4 points or cooked lean ground beef is 5 points and is about the size of a deck of cards

A typical restaurant portion is:cooked beefsteak - 12 oz and equals 28 points! Restaurant servings of steak can be huge, ranging anywhere from 8 ounces to as much as 32 ounces!

Breads, Pastas and Grains

Cereals

One serving of corn flakes has a POINTS values 2 and a serving of oatmeal has a POINTS values 2.

A 1 cup serving... is about the same size as a tennis ball

Pasta

Spaghetti with marinara sauce is: POINTS values 6

It's easy to count POINTS values for pasta if you know the POINTS values for a 1-cup serving.
A 1-cup serving of... is about the same size as a tennis ball


A typical restaurant portion is:
Spaghetti With Marinara - 1 serving =POINTS values 14!


Pancakes

Pay attention to the size of the pancakes you're eating. A larger pancake can have a higher POINTS value. And go easy on the butter and syrup -- two great flavors that can go a long way in small quantities.

A 4-inch pancake... is about the same size as

A 4" pancake
POINTS values 3

and is about the size of a compact disc

A typical restaurant portion is: Pancake- 4 oz6 POINTS values

A restaurant pancake can be as big as 8 inches, or twice the size of a regular pancake. And they'll serve you up 3 of them!


Muffin

A muffin from your own muffin pan is a regular-sized muffin. 1 fat-free muffin=POINTS values 2

A small muffin... is about the same size as a cupcake wrapper

A typical restaurant portion is: Banana Muffin - 1 muffin= 17 POINTS values


Milk, Cheese & Dairy


Cheese



Cheese
Measure cheese by the ounce to estimate POINTS values. Different types of cheeses (soft, semi-soft, and hard) can have different POINTS values per ounce. A 1-ounce portion of cheese... is about the same as 4 dice

Cottage Cheese

1% low-fat cottage cheese one serving is 3 points.

A 1-cup serving of... is about the same as a tennis ball


Desserts

Ice Cream

A 1/2 cup scoop of... has a POINTS values 4 and is about the same size as a cupcake wrapper If you are using the points calculator on WW.com use it to look up the points value of specific brands of ice cream.

Cookies


What's an average-sized cookie? Use this comparison as a guide to figure the POINTS values for cookies.
A medium is about the same size as the top of a Coke can

A typical restaurant portion is: 11 POINTS values!

Gourmet-style cookies are not only huge, they're also usually higher in fat than packaged cookies.


Spreads, Dressings, Butter and Oil


Mayonnaise

Remember that 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon when calculating POINTS values for mayo.

mayonnaise POINTS values 1 is about the size of 1 die Remember that 3 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon when calculating POINTS values for mayo.


Peanut Butter, Cream Cheese, Butter or Margarine



A tablespoon of... reduced-fat peanut butter has a POINTS values 2, cream cheese has a POINTS values 1, butter has a POINTS values 3...the serving size for all three is the size of 3 dice


-- Edited by Colette at 17:49, 2006-02-20