There's How Many Servings????
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
December 4, 2008 9:59am CST
A couple weeks ago I did a discussion on a new thing I’m doing. Since I have diabetes I have to eat every three hours…not large meals but something. I started using my old yogurt cups (which are exactly one-cup size) and it seems to be working great. I started doing this b/c one, I have to eat so often and their more convenient and two, b/c it used the old cups and they weren’t having to be thrown out. Also it helped me with portion control. That’s what I wanted to talk about.
I have a deep fondness for Mac and cheese…the kind with the wet cheese pack in it. Now, usually I would buy a box of this, cook it up, toss in some kind of meat with it (chicken, ham, turkey…just whatever) and eat half and put the other half in the fridge. Three hours later I’d have the other half. Since I’ve started using the yogurt cups I’ve found something out. There are 7 one-cup servings to a box!!! That’s right I get 7 yogurt cups from one box and about a ½-1 cup of chopped meat added in. I was stunned when I figured this out. A lot of meals that I thought were one or two servings are actually 5-6 servings. I can’t believe how much less I’m eating.
I also went shopping and bought one of those institutional cans (huge 6 lb. Can) of fruit cottail and put about half of it in yogurt cups (it made 8 cups) and the other half I put in a big bowl for hubby’s desserts. I’ve also bought Jell-O, which I’ll make right in the cups and add some fruit to. These are pretty much the same as the little cups you get at the store.
Have you ever been surprised by how many servings are actually in a meal? Do you eat 4-6 serving meals in one or two meals? Have you ever ate a whole box of say Mac and cheese as a meal…even though it actually makes 4-6 servings? What would be a good meal for you to portion out…one that you tend to overeat on or not realize how much you’ve eaten of it?
[b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~
**STAND STRONG AND TRUST IN GOD**[/b]
12 people like this
22 responses
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
4 Dec 08
That sounds right because a regular meal should be the size of 3 of your fists and one drink. Your protein and two vegetables (leave out starches unless you are eating pasta like Dream Fields). Our stomach is the size of our fist, if we have not overeaten to the point of stretching out the stomach. People who overeat do that and never feel satisfied.
If you are diabetic, instead of buying packaged mac and cheese, make your own. It is easy. Buy Dream Fields pasta (it is super low carb but still made from semolina and my husband, Mr. Pickypants, as well as my mother, Mrs. Pickypanties, love it. Just look up a recipe for old fashioned mac and cheese.
I eat three meals per day and snacks in between. That keeps blood sugar levels regulated. I do not want diabetes like my mother-in-law and grandmother, and besides giving up sugar and corn products, I eat very low carb, lots of veggies and protein.
I like your idea of using the cups for portion control. It is very smart!!
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47667)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Dec 08
Mr Pickypants? Mrs Pickypanties?
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
5 Dec 08
I found out a few years ago how much I was actually eating and I was shocked!! We rarely pay attention to the portion size and with many things, a portion is little more than a bite!
I also wrote down everything I ate--I was a busy mom and rarely sat down to eat, just picked and snacked. I was consuming about 3,000 calories a day and yet I thought I was eating practically nothing! Once I paid attention to portion sizes, kept a food diary and portioned out snacks ahead of time as well as measured my food, the pounds started dropping off.
I really need to do that again. I bought some "lite" yogurt when you wrote about your method, thinking to eat it and use the cartons because it would be so convenient. Would you believe I haven't eaten the yogurt yet?!
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
4 Dec 08
I do not have macaroni and cheese, but I found that a large serving spoon contains one quarter of a cup, and a soup scoop, a half a cup. I usually by yogurt in the big containers. There are just two of us and since I am borderline diabetic (that is it is controlled by diet and that little white pill) I can get a bit of leeway in my diet. I find that if I use whole grain pasta, and brown rice I get fill easier. So if you run out of yogurt cups, try the big serving spoon and the soup ladle, it works quite well.
Oh I am not surprised at what you get in those packages. I usually read the labels and it tells you the recommended servings and they do not look as big as the ones you would put on your plate.
2 people like this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
4 Dec 08
You were eating 7 serving at two meals, that is so bad, but we don't realize it unless we do measure.. We just put a big spoonful or whatever it is that we are having at the time and never think about how much we are eating.. I don't particularly like the box macaroni and cheese but I am as bad at eating ice cream.. I love to put a bit of hot coffee over my bowl of ice cream, then it will melt a bit and I have to add more ice cream, so I am getting about 1/4 a gallon at a time of the ice cream.. I need to take your advice and start getting my portions under control.. Even a few spoonfuls at a time will add up to many, many more calories.. Good going for you..
2 people like this
@lvaldean (1612)
• United States
4 Dec 08
Great idea and great information. Both my husband and I have been dieting, well really just trying to adjust intake (portion control) and normalize our overall eating habits to include more healthy choices.
I don't have as big a problem as he does, I like a broader selection of foods frankly.
I am going to print your discussion and show it to him.
2 people like this
@Marie5656 (336)
• United States
4 Dec 08
My husband is also a diabetic, Type 2. He was diagnosed about 9 years ago. It is a sore issue with us, as he never seems to understand the concept of serving size. I mean, I buy him the yogurt cups, as he likes to bring them for a snack at work. But sometimes instead of just one, he will want 2 or 3 at once.
So now, if I am making us snacks at home, I will portion his out myself, just to make sure he is getting a bit closer to the right size.
2 people like this
@awonderfullife (2893)
• United States
19 Dec 08
I think most of us make our portions way too big. Your way of measuirng is a good one. When we go out to eat I can't believe the huge portion sizes they serve. No wonder most Americans are overweight!
@ElicBxn (63643)
• United States
12 Dec 08
If you read the back of the box, you will see it says what and how big a serving is. Now, if you are eating it as a main course you probably would want to eat 2 servings and cut out the starch like potato for something like mac & cheese, 2 veggies on the side would make a good meal.
Yes, a box is a meal for me - why do you think I'm fat?
@BarBaraPrz (47667)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Dec 08
That is exactly why I buy the prepackaged rice krispie squares, rather than make my own. If it's wrapped up and in a box, I can be vigilant in eating just one. If I made them myself, I'd eat the whole pot (they'd never get to the pan...).
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
15 Dec 08
I think a lot of American's will be stunned to the amount of serving they eat. Lets look at a steak they get in a restaurant. A serving of beef steak is 4 to 6oz. Now who would pay for a steak that small in a restaurant? NO on right so a small steak is considered at 8oz and a nice sized stake is 12oz and some have them even bigger and we sit down and eat them all!
@frecklelip334 (1668)
• United States
9 Dec 08
yea portions and servings really aren't much.
therefore hard to control sometimes if you're not paying attention.
it's no fun and frankly depressing when you're hungry, haha!
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
19 Dec 08
Thats a good way to measure out your portions, I've never thought of that. I don't eat mac and cheese very much, and if I make it, we'll only eat about half of it, the rest goes in the trash because we won't eat it the next day. I'm diabetic also, and I don't eat like I'm supposed to, I only eat twice a day, and maybe a few snacks in between, but my sugar is well controlled, and I've lost some weight. You not only have to watch your portions you've also got to watch what you eat, watch your carbs because it all turns to sugar, stuff like pastas, breads, potatoes, are all starchy and turn to sugar, they always say anything white, turns to sugar. I tend to stay away from sweets, unless its sugar-free, like the jell-o you were talking about, you said you add fruit to it, its good, but it would have less sugar if you would use sugar-free jello instead because the fruit you put in it has natural sugar in it. I pretty much eat what I want, but I watch my portions, and my sweets. I know what I can handle, so my sugar count won't go high. I've been diabetic for about 13 yrs. now. As for the meal that I need to portion out would be anything that has potatoes in it, I love potatoes, but I know it makes my sugar high, and I can't eat very much of it. I need to measure out just how much I can have. This is a good discussion.
@onlydia (2808)
• United States
6 Dec 08
Your kidding right? If there is Mac&cheese I'm all over it. If I make it then yes one box I would eat half. Now I have a roomate and he eats for 6 I swear I have never seen anyone eat that much. So now I have cut back as I look down and go oh no. YOur friend onlydia
@Paula1966 (1102)
• United States
4 Dec 08
This post is so important, because I think most of us do exactly as you described - not pay attention to the serving sizes. We are going to have to watch that soon, when hubby gets out of the hospital, so we can limit his sodium intake.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
5 Dec 08
Hamburger Helper beef and noodles is one that I tend to overeat. I save all my yogurt cups also.. I have about 30 or so. I get the kind that comes with lids. I also use press and seal and put the lid on and can freeze your portions in them.
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
8 Dec 08
Hello! Well we have been doing diets & I've realized that as well. There are many food out there that have more than one serving. I noticed on frozen foods that that happens! It's pretty surprising! I get especially surprised at restaurants because "one" dinner can be nearly 2-4 servings! I get so surprised on things like that. Well thank your discussion.
Pablo
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
7 Dec 08
Wow! First though I have to say, what a great idea about using the yogurt cups to make jello in! That's awesome! I am definitely going to be trying that.
I am laughing my you know what off about the mac & cheese and here's why. My son, who will be 8 soon, eats an entire box of mac & cheese in one sitting sometimes for lunch. I knew that was a lot, but I had NO IDEA it was 7 servings in that one box! Whoa!
I've looked at other food's nutrition labels before and was stunned to see the serving was much more than what I had thought, but blew it off. lol. Can't blow off SEVEN servings instead of one though, can I?
Thanks for the eye opener and the great recycling tip!
@terri0824 (4991)
• United States
7 Dec 08
I like using these types of containers for putting food in as well. Chips, pretzels are a few things I've used it for. Pudding would be a great one to use it for as well.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
6 Dec 08
I am really bad about that with cereal. I swear I eat 2-3 servings of cereal every time I eat a bowl. There are worse things I could be over eating on though. I never eat the right serving size of pizza either. I don't eat much mac and cheese, but my son who is only 8 once ate an entire box at dinner.
@camomom (7535)
• United States
6 Dec 08
We do this all the time. I can't believe how small one serving actually is. My fiance is also diabetic and he's tried the one serving of each item at a meal and he's starving 10 minutes later. I don't think a single serving is enough for most people. It's amazing how many servings we do actually eat in a sitting if you actually were to break it down.
