[12/7/11] Wednesday Wellness: Serving Sizes

With all the upcoming holiday parties, treats shared between friends and neighbors, Christmas Dinners, and New Year's celebrations, I thought it might be helpful to review food serving sizes. When I had my clients start measuring their food servings, most found that their perception of a serving size was usually larger than a true serving size. They were eating more than they thought they were. With this knowledge, it's easier to make good choices during the holidays and beyond.

Another helpful hint is to carefully read food labels. Sometimes we automatically think that a container holds only one serving, especially when containers are small. This isn't always the case. Canned soups are a good example of this. 

We also sometimes assume that a category of foods will have the same serving size across the board. This is also not always the case. Cereals are a good example of this. A serving of Cheerios is 1 cup. A serving of granola is usually about 1/3 cup. Breads are another good example. Some slices are 1 serving, others can be between 1 and 1 1/2 servings. Or more.

See how those calories can add up without you even realizing it? Even when you're making healthy choices, too much of a good thing can still be hazardous to your eating plan.  Extra calories are extra calories, even when those calories are healthy.