I am 32 years old. Tonight, for the very first time in my life, I saw what a normal portion of pasta looks like. I was very surprised at how small it was. I was also shocked to find out that with 2 normal servings of steamed broccoli added, I got full.
I come from a family of big eaters. For as long as I can remember pasta was heaped high completely filling a dinner plate. It was served with LARGE glasses (yes as in more than one) of southern sweet tea. So this whole 'portion control' thing is foreign and completely new to me.
It's amazing how different 2oz noodles (dry), 4oz of lean meat, and 1/2 cup of sauce looks compared to what I'd normally eat. Having a vegetable with my pasta was odd but not unpleasant.
I think I should have more experiments with what a proper portion looks like.
I know what you mean Aiesline. I used to eat pasta in a pasta bowl. Whoever invented those should have to listen to a long lecture about portions in a very uncomfortable chair! I was eating 3-5 portions of pasta easy!
On the flip side, I never realized before how much a tbsp is before becoming a CC. I find that the easiest thing to keep portions on track because it such a large amount. Less than I was eating of most things, sure, but still big.
Sadly, I think very few people realize the true meaning of portion sizes. Even myself, who has been doing this for years - it is so hard to remember how small a portion size is.
One thing I find small is the amount of food you get in a weight watchers (or similar) meal. And that really is a portion size. I have heard of people who wash the containers out and re-use them for their own food to help them with portion control, I have never done it myself but I think it is a great idea!
Has anyone seen the Haagen Daz mini ice cream cups? I laughed, they were sooo tiny and cute, looked like a GOLF BALL, only to read the label and it was 118mL, compared to a 125mL serving size on the large container too!!! Who on earth scoops that amount out of a large tub? And it had 19g of fat!
Yeah, I have had a hard time cutting my pasta portions down to "normal" amounts. I do have 2 portions if we are doing spaghetti for dinner, but I am now adding a veggie to the side, plus a good sauce.
I'm not crazy about pasta, but you can mix veggies straight into the pasta or sauce to eat a bit more. You can cut ribbons of squash, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, etc to make noodles (or buy a slaw mix) cook it down, and voila - noodles. I like mine just like that with a little homemade sauce.
Agree! After a lifetime of overeating, I say that my "portion-o-meter" is permanently broken. My digital food scale is a necessity for me, even for those things I eat every day, even for veggies and fruits. My sister thinks I'm obsessive and insane, but I just say I've found a method that works.
If I ever have kids, I'm teaching them what a portion looks like!
I have these plastic "divided" plates that I have my kids eat dinner in.. I bet that if I were to use one of those the "portions" would fit perfectly in it. I may have to give that a go.
Portion lesson learned.
I was eating 3-5 portions of pasta easy! 
