Learning how to cook basic foods is keep in staying in shape and saving money. If you have to eat out we will show you how and what to eat.

Tips to control Portion size

• Decrease your portions by half

You can lose weight and still enjoy your favorite foods.  Just decrease your portion sizes by half.  Take your typical dinner serving and decrease it by half. Try supplementing your meal with fresh fruit or vegetables on the side.  After you eat, wait a few minutes to allow yourself to feel full.  You will probably notice you don’t feel the urge to eat as much. 

• Don’t eat a three-course meal at restaurants

When dining out, watch how much you are eating.  Most restaurants serve huge portions for the main course.  Eating an appetizer, main course, and desert is too much food.   Many restaurants offer lunch size portions of their dishes, which are smaller than their full-size dinner entrees.  In most restaurants you can purchase the lunch size entree at dinnertime.  Ordering from the lunch menu helps with portion control.

• Don’t biggie-size anything

Fast food portions are normally too large.  Upsizing meals give you extra food you don’t need.  If you decide to eat fast food (which should be rare), order the regular size.

• Start Reading Labels

Look carefully at the serving size for your food.  Find out how many servings you are actually consuming.  You will soon know how to measure a serving size simply by looking at the food.

      ·        NO BUFFETS!!!

It is nearly impossible to practice portion control in an "all-you-can-eat" situation. Many individuals mistakenly eat as much as possible in a buffet.  This is not good for someone on a diet.

• Learn the standards:
  3 oz. of meat is the size of a deck of cards or an audio tape; 1 oz. of meat is the size of a matchbook; 1 cup of potatoes, rice, or pasta looks like a tennis ball.