Tips on Cooking and Portion Control

Watching portion sizes when you eat out is easy when you use tricks like these.

• A deck of cards is equal to a 3 to 4 ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish.  the palm of a small or average-sized hand is about the same portion.
• The last join of your thumb or a domino is about the size of a 1-ounce portion of cheese.
• A tennis ball is equal in size to a medium apple or orange.
• A medium-size closed fist or a baseball is about the size of a 1-cup measure of cereal, pasta, fruit, or vegetables.
• A handful of chips is equal to a 1-ounce serving.
• A computer mouse is equal in size to a medium potato.

When portioning recipes, look for a definition of the serving size.  If this information is not provided, use these tips for determining that information yourself.

Soups, Stews, Side Dishes
Just before serving, turn the food into a large dry or liquid measuring cup; level the top.  Divide this yield by the number of servings.  For example, if the yield is 4 cups, and the recipe makes 4 servings, divide 4 cups by 4--each serving is 1 cup.

Casseroles
Choose a round or square casserole dish.  Just before serving, divide the food into equal portions.  First locate the center, then cut through it, dividing the casserole into equal portions.

Low Fat Pumpkin Pancakes from the Titanium Chef

I can't get enough pumpkin right now, it has been going in bread, cookies, muffins, oatmeal, granola and now these tasty pancakes!  There is just the right amount of pumpkin in these, they are good with a chopped apple or a handful or raisins or chopped cranberries thrown in.  Enjoy them with warm maple syrup.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 T canola oil
1 cup nonfat milk
1/3 cup pure pumpkin

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a medium bowl.  Combine egg, oil, milk and pumpkin in a small bowl.  Stir pumpkin mitxture into dry ingredients just until moistened, don't over stir!  There will be small lumps and that is exactly how its supposed to be.  Let batter sit for five minutes.

For each pancake, scoop 1/4 cup batter on a hot griddle or nonstick skilled sprayed with cooking spray.  Turn pancakes when bubbles appear and edges are cooked, after about 2 minutes.  Cook for 1 1/2 minutes on second side. 

Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Per two pancake serving:  Calories 226, calories from fat 46, total fat 5g.