By Betty Berry, Wednesday, October 14, 2009 Q: I’m hearing more and more about how overweight the people of this nation — both young and old — are becoming, and how it is affecting our health.
We are being told to eat right and cut back on portions.
I am not in control of how much food is served to me. Are there any guidelines for determining portion size or hints on how to cut down on calories for someone in my situation?
A: Where there is a will, there is a way.
Since you didn’t state why you are not in control of how much food is served to you, I am assuming you either eat most of your meals in a restaurant or your living situation has meals included.
Either way, yes, there are guidelines you can use.
I turned to professionals who know the ins and outs of nutrition for these guidelines and they provided the following information.
It is most important to practice portion control.
Most portions served either at a restaurant or home are larger then recommended.
If eating at a restaurant, ask to have part of the meal packed “to go.”
A suggestion is to have it boxed before you start to eat; that way you won’t be tempted to continue to nibble on the extra portion. If dining with someone, you might consider splitting an entrée.
It also was suggested that you order an appetizer or two in place of an entrée, thus cutting down on the amount of food served.
If bread is your downfall, ask that the bread basket be eliminated from your table. Also ask that salad dressing and entrée sauces be served on the side, allowing you to control the amount used.
There are a few guidelines to help you recognize a portion size. A cup of fruit or vegetables or a medium-size piece of fruit is approximately the size of a baseball; three ounces of boneless cooked meat or poultry is the size of a deck of cards; and an ounce and a half of cheese is teh size of six dice.
If you want to nibble on some nuts or pretzels, two ounces will fit in the cup of your hand.
A half-cup of potatoes or rice is the size of half a baseball and a quarter cup of dried fruit would be the size of a golf ball.
After a while, just by eyeballing your plate, you have a pretty good idea of the size of the portion you have been served.
Two other items you should remember: Keep yourself adequately hydrated and get some exercise. Make it a habit to drink water during the day, and if you can’t find a 30-minute period to exercise, just break up your exercise into shorter periods of time.
Hope this gives you some idea of what to look for when that plate of food is put in front of you.
Happenings:
Today: Medicare 101 seminar, 1:30 to 3 p.m. — a review prior to open enrollment for 2010. Westlake Village Civic Center, 31200 E. Oak Crest Drive, Westlake Village, 1:30-3 p.m.
Tuesday: Solutions for Senior Care panel discussion, 6 to 8 p.m. — Goebel Senior Adult Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. For reservations. call 381-2744. Light supper will be served.
Tuesday: Tune Up Your Brain — Tune Up Your Life presentation and book signing, 10 to 11 a.m. — Bona Venture, 10949 Telegraph Road, Ventura. For reservations, call Help Unlimited at 654-6990.
— Betty Berry is a senior advocate for Senior Concerns. The advocates are at the Goebel Senior Adult Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362; or call 495-6250 or e-mail betty@seniorconcerns.org (please include your telephone number). You are invited to submit questions on senior issues.