Appropriate Portion Sizes for Low- to Medium-Glycemic Dishes

Glycemic Index Cookbook For Dummies

Choosing recipes that are low to medium glycemic and lower in fat and calories is a great way to help you achieve your health and wellness goals. However, eating the appropriate portion sizes is also crucial when you cook glycemic index–based recipes; eating larger amounts of carbohydrates can raise the glycemic load of that recipe and increase the calorie level. Use the following estimates to help you serve the right amounts of your delicious lower-glycemic dishes:

A 3-ounce portion of poultry, beef, fish, or pork is equivalent to the size of a deck of cards.
A 1-ounce portion of cheese is the size of a domino.
A medium fruit is the size of a tennis ball.
A cup of vegetables is the size of a baseball.
Half a cup of grains is about the size of the palm of your hand (unless you have gigantic hands!).

About This Article

About the book author:

Meri Raffetto, RDN, founded Real Living Nutrition Services (reallivingnutrition.com), which pro- vides one of the only interactive online weight-loss and wellness programs.

Rosanne Rust is an internationally recognized nutrition expert, registered dietitian, and author with a passion for balanced eating and reducing waste. Grounded in science, she has focused on helping people set realistic health and dietary goals over her 30-year career. She provides freelance nutrition communications work in the food and agriculture spaces and blogs at Chew the Facts.^® Find her on social media @chewthefacts or www.rustnutrition.com.