By My Estimation...

   From recipes to food labels, serving size information can be found. What exactly is a serving? The answer is...it depends. I remember when one serving of cereal was one cup. Imagine my surprise when I read the label in the recent past and saw that now a serving size is 3/4 of a cup. Portion size is important when you're trying to keep track of what you eat, especially if you're following a specific plan, like Weight Watchers.
    At home, its a good idea to measure everything and pay attention to labels. I tend to do okay at home on measuring portions. One thing I learned is to level measuring cups and spoons using a knife. This means not heaping ingredients as high as they go. I got better about using the knife, but what do I do with the peanut butter left on the knife after I level? (I think you know.) The best way to deal with it is to put it back in its container, but most people lick it off. Every bite, lick, and taste has to be counted. Those very small portions can combine with others and make very big trouble on your weight loss journey.
    What if you don't have any measuring utensils and need a ballpark figure on portion size? You can use your hand as a guide to some common portions.

    You can also use ordinary objects to estimate sizes. A tennis ball is comparable to 1/2 cup of cooked rice or ice cream. (This makes me think of one of my favorite deserts...Sticky Rice and Ice Cream at Tavin's Thai BBQ and Grill. The portion there is more than a half cup of each, it's worth the PointsPlus Values to me as a special treat. and the dish is usually shared among several friends.)

    A 1 1/2 serving of cheese is about the size of a 9 volt battery.

    A ping pong ball is about the size of a 2 tablespoon serving of peanut butter. (As a side note: I've actually started buying powdered peanut butter. It's organic, tastes great and has 85% less fat than regular peanut butter.)

    One serving of a pancake or waffle is about the size of a compact disc. I'm thinking these are either the made at home or frozen varieties, because I've never eaten out and seen a pancake smaller than plate-size.

    For more comparisons and information, check out the following articles:

1. Portion Distortion
2. Portion Sizes at Home
3. Estimating Portions with Everyday Objects

   And don't forget...read the labels!