Right-size your food: A handy guide to portion sizes.

Questions & Answers
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To eat healthy, you don’t need to forego all mouth-watering foods and eat pinecones and peach pits instead. You can enjoy your favorite foods, but make sure you’re eating sensible portion sizes. How do you know what the right portion size is? Use these common household items to help you remember:

3-4 ounces of meat Deck of cards
3-4 ounces of grilled fish Checkbook
1 small potato Computer mouse
1 tablespoon of peanut butter Tip of your thumb
1 cup of fruit One baseball
2 cups of mixed greens Two baseballs
1 cup of raw vegetables One baseball
¼ cup of dried fruit Golf ball
1 teaspoon of butter or margarine One dice (or die)
1 ounce of hard cheese Two dice
¼ cup of nuts Handful

Here are some additional tips for creating a healthy eating plan that’s right for you:

  • Go to www.choosemyplate.gov and type “get a personalized plan” into the search box. You’ll get a daily food plan based on your age, sex, weight, and physical activity.
  • To get a precise calorie recommendation tailored for your age, height and activity level, use the Mayo Clinic Calorie calculator.
  • To find calorie counts and other nutrition facts for thousands of foods, including fast-food items, use the WebMD® Food-o-Meter.