We just completed our Portion Control Video DVD and we had a lot of fun in the process and wanted to share our story and photos. We learned a lot about the calories in large portions of every day food.

Here is what we learned:

• Packages of movie snacks, like candies, cookies and chips, are really large and serve 2 or more. Although they look like one serving they are 3 servings and often top 500 or 600 calories.
• Snack foods that are calorie dense, like chips, crackers, puffs and cookies, vary greatly in package sizes and even serving sizes. Some bags of potato chips serve 1, 2, 3, 8, 9. The ones that serve 2 or 3 look like they serve one.
• One large sandwich can actually fill two plates (we dissected one!) and be totally out of balance for what someone should eat in a day – for example, the one we took apart filled a whole dinner plate with meat and a whole plate with bread.
• Most desserts and baked goods are so large they make a serving size look small and they all go over 400 or 500 calories without exception.
• The size cup, plate or bowl you are using really makes a difference in how much you tend to serve yourself.
• The more fruits and vegetables you eat in a day the better for the purpose of feeling full on fewer calories.We wanted to help others realize that while it is important to read a food label and measure food and develop an eye for serving sizes, it is also important to select the right food. Choosing lower-fat foods and adding more fruits and veggies saved over 400 calories on one plate!