Many Americans are overweight from overeating. Often they don't realize that this is the case. Perhaps they only had their three squares a day for years. Maybe these three squares contained enough for three meals a piece. As a nation we have not come far in understanding what a portion size is, instead we pile our plates with whatever will fit. This leads us to eat far too many calories each day making us gain weight.

In order to stop eating huge portions of food you will need to learn how to determine what a portion is. This is not always easy but once you learn you will always know. Listed below are serving sizes for common foods.

Oats and grains- 1 cup cooked

Natural cheese- 1-1.5 ounces

Processed cheese- 2 ounces

Milk and yogurt- 1 cup

Pasta- half a cup

Fruit- 1 medium piece or half a cup

Fish, poultry, and red meat- 3-4 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards)

These are portion sizes set by the FDA.

There are also many ways that you can learn how to maintain healthy portions on your own. Although portions are often hard to determine there are some helpful tips that can help you on your way to knowing healthy portions and gaining a healthy waistline. Here are some tips on how to avoid overeating and recognizing a healthy portion.

Use smaller plates at home. You can go to garage sales to find some that are more unique or go to the store to choose some in your favorite patterns or designs. You can also bring your own smaller plate with you to be prepared away from home.

Make sure to read labels. All grocery items that are packaged will have nutritious information on the box. This includes portion size. Also most restaurants are now giving out this information so check it out and be aware.

Learn what a serving size looks like. This will train your eye to the different portions so that you will be able to spot oversized portions.

When eating out request a take home container when ordering your food. That way when your food arrives you can set aside half before you start eating. Most of the time portions are at least twice what they are suppose to be.

Order off of the kids, senior, or appetizer menus to receive smaller portions. Be careful though often these sections contain foods higher in fat and calories.

Learning how to eat healthy portions can be difficult but once you learn you will forever be able to spot an oversized portion. Eating healthy portions will help to shrink your waist and improve your health.

About the Author:

More than 50% of American women age 20-74 are overweight or obese! If you are overweight go to WomenLivingHealthy for great information on how to shed those unwanted and unhealthy pounds. Don't forget to check out eDiets.com to find out how you can drop 10 pounds in 5 weeks!

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