Curtis Harwell and Kelli Richardson Discuss Food Portion Control and Fat Loss

Portion control is an important concept when you're trying to lose weight and keep it off. But you don't need to memorize a food list or carry around measuring cups to get a better handle on serving sizes. Instead, use common visual cues to remind yourself of appropriate serving sizes. How? Many foods match up to everyday objects.

For example, a medium pepper is about the size of a baseball and equals one vegetable serving. While not all foods perfectly match visual cues, this method can help you better judge serving sizes and practice portion control, which may help with weight loss.

If you think the servings seem small, don't panic. Remember that you can eat multiple servings every day from each food group.

A 2.5-ounce piece of cooked skinless chicken is about the same size as two-thirds of a deck of cards and equals one protein/dairy serving, or about 110 calories. The same is true for a 2-ounce patty of cooked lean hamburger, which equals one serving and has about 110 calories.

Other protein/dairy servings

Protein/dairy
1 serving (110 calories)Baked beans, canned
1/2 cupEgg
1 wholeFish (haddock), grilled or broiled
3 ouncesPork sausage, smoked
2 small linksTofu, firm or silken soft
2 slices (1-inch width)