I have a totally distorted understanding of portion size. Check out the estimation guidelines below for serving sizes I pulled off the internet; I will not believe these comparisons until our Alegent nutritionist Toni tells me it is so!

Breads and Pastas: 1 pancake the size of a CD (how about a vinyl LP instead?!? This 70’s rocker thinks we should bring those back anyway.)

Dairy: 1 oz cheese the size of your thumb (does it have to be MY thumb or can I peruse the restaurant for the biggest thumb I can find?!?)

Vegetables: 1 cup lettuce salad the size of your fist (that can’t be right; my fork can hold that much lettuce for one bite and it‘s LETTUCE for goodness sakes!)

Fruit: ½ cup fruit salad the size of a filled cupcake wrapper (they can’t be serious, can they?!? Talking about proper nutrition and serving sizes being measured by a cupcake wrapper?!?)

I suppose I’m in denial because of years of not knowing or paying attention to what a serving size really is.

I could blame growing up on a farm where every meal was a big, abundant event and you ate until you were full (or usually a little past full!) Eggs, bacon, and whole milk straight from the cow for breakfast; goulash, sweet corn, rolls and Jello for dinner (yes, the noon meal is still dinner on the farm!); roast beef, potatoes, gravy, green beans, homemade bread and salad for supper.

We worked hard on the farm and worked up big appetites and Mom was and still is the most incredible cook, always preparing warm, nutritional meals. Dad was quick to audit that our plates were clean; after all, there are children starving somewhere . . . I can’t remember where exactly . . . I just know they would want my two bites of goulash and my half eaten roll so I better stuff it down for them.

Thanks to Mom and Dad I have always been a healthy eater, but just always ate too much and our culture now is no friend to proper nutrition or appropriate serving sizes -- the Biggie Gulp, the Super Sizing, the all you can eat buffets. How can we possibly acquire the right perspective on nutrition and serving sizes with all that?!?

I guess it all comes down to personal responsibility, so you’ll have to excuse me now; I need to go buy some cupcakes so I can measure my fruit salad!