Find—and stick to—portions that work for you
One size does not fit all.
5 steps toyourperfect portion
Want help with portion control? It starts by figuring out exactly what you’re working with.
1. Serve yourself. Dish out the amount you’d normally eat—of pasta, ice cream, whatever.
2. Size it up. Use a scale or measuring cup or spoon to determine its exact amount.
3. Check Points. Plug it into the app to see how the serving impacts your Budget.
4. Reflect & revise. Want to spend that many Points? If yes, that’s your portion. No? Adjust.
5. Make it work for you. If you end up feeling unsatisfied by a smaller-than-expected portion, bulk up or stretch a serving by leaning on ZeroPoint foods. What to try:
• Toss veggies, shrimp, or chicken breast into pasta or rice dishes.
• Blend beans or lentils into soups and stews.
• Drizzle lemon juice or red wine vinegar to supplement salad dressing.
No measuring utensils? No problem
Use this guide to guesstimate portions.
*Not all hands are the same size, of course; to get specific, measure yours against spoons and cups when available.
How to keep portions in check
1. Store measuring cups and spoons where they’re easy to grab and use.
2. When measuring, take mental snapshots: “This is what a cup of pasta looks like.” “This is 1 oz of cheese.” After a while, you won’t have to measure go-to foods.
3. Buy single-serving packs of snacks or other foods when possible. Or, DIY it—divvy up individual portions and label them with the Points value when you get home.
4. Serve dinner on a salad plate and dessert on a bread plate to make portions seem more substantial.
5. Fill at least half your plate with ZeroPoint® veggies to make your meal—and your portion of food with Points—seem bigger and more filling.
6. Keep serving dishes in the kitchen and plate your portion there, not at the table.
7. When portioning a snack or leftovers from a large container, put it away before you eat.