Moms Matter – Portion Control Is Key [SPONSORED]

It can be hard to find ways to stay dedicated to your goals if you have little ones you need to chase and chauffeur from place-to-place. But there are options out there that can help you stay with it, like the Independent Health Family Branch YMCA in Amherst.

While it's important to exercise, it's even more important to eat healthy to stay healthy. One of the toughest parts of eating healthy is portion control. It's not always realistic to expect yourself (and certainly not your children) to weigh out each food item for every meal to make sure that your portions are proper.

Fortunately, there are some very easy ways to "eyeball" whether or not you have too much food. As Laura and Juli demonstrate in the video above, simple household items can act as a visual placeholder for your food. While of course there is some variation from person-to-person (children and adults are obviously different), you can put these items right on the dinner table and use them as a guide!

• Deck of cards - The standard deck of cards is almost a perfect substitute for 3 ounces of meat. Adults may require a bit more than this, children a bit less.
• Tennis ball - A tennis ball represents a half a cup of food, and this actually applies to a wide range of food types that you require. For example, you shouldn't have more than a tennis ball's worth of starch (think potatoes or rice), but you should have AT LEAST a tennis ball's worth of vegetables (carrots, green beans, broccoli, etc.).

For more information, visit the Independent Health Family Branch YMCA online.