Portions Matter

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You love eating healthy foods, but portion control is your downfall. Sound familiar? You’re reaching for healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, but that doesn’t give you license to eat as much as you want. The calories can really add up, so watch your portions.
  • 1-teaspoon of olive oil is 40 calories, while 1 tablespoon is 120 calories.
  • 3 ounces of chicken breast is 100 calories, but most breasts at the store are upwards of 8-10 ounces, so you could easily be consuming an extra 150-250 calories.
  • 1/3 cup of oatmeal has 100 calories, but 1/2 cup has 150.
  • 1 ounce of almonds has 165 calories; 2 ounces, 330 calories.

Those differences may be small individually, but together can add up quickly. While putting everything into measuring cups can get old, it will get easier to eyeball portion sizes as you go along. Try using the hand guide pictured here to estimate portion sizes in a pinch.

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