What does a healthy, well-balanced meal look like? How much food is really in one serving? Determining serving sizes can be confusing, especially with the oversized portions served in most restaurants. You might be surprised to know that you don’t have to precisely measure out all your portions to get the serving sizes right – following a few simple guidelines, just let your eyes be your guide.

Use this activity to learn more about portion sizes and how to build a healthy plate.

The basics of healthy eating can easily be a part of your lifestyle. Here’s how:

• Eat 5-9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Use whole grains instead of refined (white) bread, rice, cereal, or pasta.
• Cut back on sweetened drinks and soda. A 12 oz. can of soda contains 10 tsp. of sugar or high fructose corn syrup – empty calories that do not satisfy hunger.
• Limit fats to less than 20% of daily intake. Avoid saturated or trans fats and replace with plant based oils – olive, canola and peanut.
• Use low fat dairy products.
• Walk or exercise every day.

When dining out:

• If you get a super sized meal, share it with a friend or take half home.
• Avoid buffets.
• Ask for heart healthy menu items. Many restaurants indicate these with a heart symbol.
• Ask to modify menu items. See if the food can be steamed, broiled, or baked instead of fried.
• Skip the bread, rolls and tortilla chips.
• Ask for salad dressing on the side. Use it sparingly if high in fat.
• Put your fork down between bites. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to your brain that it’s full.

Portion Plate Printouts:

* Printouts formatted as 2 8˝ X 11 pages can be trimmed and taped together for full-size placemat.

For more information about The Portion Plate™, contact NHenders@wvadmin.gov.