You know that a healthy diet can help prevent all kinds of brain-related problems— everything from depression to dementia. Plus, a healthy diet will help you live longer. An important key to a healthy diet is not just watching what you eat but watching how much you eat. Studies have shown that overeating may reduce brain function, even causing memory loss. You don’t need to weigh and measure all of your food each day, though. Once you understand what a serving size is and can visualize it, you’ll be able to eyeball your dinner and rightsize your portions.
Keep in mind that portion sizes listed on package labels and in recipes don’t necessarily reflect how you really eat, so in the beginning you may need to whip out the food scale to help calibrate your servings. Here are some shortcuts that will help you stay on track:
- A 3-ounce portion of cooked meat, poultry, or fish is about the size of a deck of playing cards.
- If you’re eating rice or pasta, a good portion is about the size of a tennis ball.
- A 1/2 cup is about the size of three regular ice cubes.
- Also, remember this rule: 1 thumb tip equals 1 teaspoon, 3 thumb tips equal 1 tablespoon, and a whole thumb equals 1 ounce.