Portion size matters

fruits and veggiescookingweight controldesserts
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
If you use a large serving bowl for dessert
you will probably fill it. Does this mean the
portion size is right? No. It probably
means that the portion is going to be, on
average according to our experiments,
about three times LARGER than it should
be. Over time excess calories can really
add up.
It’s time to line up smaller options. Explore
your cabinet or nearest dish outlet store.
Look for small sauce dishes that can
become petit dessert plates. Pictured here are sushi sauce dishes that doubled

DSC_8447If you use a large serving bowl for dessert you will probably fill it. Does this mean the portion size is right? No. It probably means that the portion is going to be, on average according to our experiments, about three times LARGER than it should be. Over time, excess calories from over-sized portions can really add up.For dessert dishes, it’s time to line up smaller options. Explore your cabinet or nearest dish outlet store. Look for small sauce dishes that can become petit dessert plates. Pictured here are sushi sauce dishes that doubled as dessert plates. We had fun mixing and matching with the dishes, berries, and sorbet flavors.Members can receive a 2 page handout on this recipe and more - click here for more infoHere are the dishes:DSC_8440Raspberry sorbet with fresh berriesDSC_8431Cabernet Sauvignon sorbet with fresh berries and shaved milk chocolateDSC_8434Passion fruit sorbet and fresh raspberriesDSC_8445By serving the petite dishes on a small tray you allow the guests to pick and choose the flavors they like and it becomes a fun, gourmet style treat. This grand finale can help any home-cooked meal have a spectacular low-calorie finish that does not cost a lot. The portion control for the small container of sorbet helps us get many servings rather than a few big bowls.DSC_8437Here are a variety of sauce dishes from our Crate and Barrel Outlet - from the bargain area - I decided to mix and match to make it fun.DSC_8449And here is our #30 scoop that is one ounce. If you get used to using this scoop for fat-free ice cream and sorbet you will learn to use less and to judge portion sizes better. It also makes a gorgeous round ball. Our scoop was a little large so the serving size we used is about 1.5 ounces (volume). The package calls for 1/2 cup which is about 4 ounces (volume). We like to use a variety of fruits and we feel this was a fun and attractive way to manage portion control for dessert!Members can receive a 2 page handout on this recipe and more - click here for more info

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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