5 Easy Ways To Control Your Portions

(NAPSI)-I was no exception when it came to gaining the "freshman 15." It took me several years to lose the weight on a program that is based on portion sizes. Even today, I automatically think about portion size whenever I eat.

Portion control is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, but controlling portions can be hard to do. Dr. Barbara Rolls, a Penn State University researcher and author of "The Volumetrics Eating Plan," shares her favorite methods for controlling how much to eat:

1. Choose foods with a high water content, such as fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, low-fat milk and yogurt, and a flakelike cereal served with milk. You can enjoy a bigger portion because high-water foods are relatively low in calories. Read more

2. Dish out smaller servings. Rolls' research found that people eat more when they're served a large portion rather than a small one.

3. Buy foods in smaller packages. Research by Brian Wansink, Ph.D., at Cornell University found that people eat more spaghetti, candy and popcorn when the package is larger.

4. In a restaurant, ask for a small appetizer or child-size portion. If smaller portions are not available, ask your server to put half your portion in a take-out container so that you can enjoy it the next day.

5. Read the standard serving size in the Nutrition Facts panel of the food package and stick to it. The serving size for Whole Grain Total®, for example, is 3/4 cup and supplies just 100 calories.

This recipe dishes out a serving of fruit per portion. Try it with apples or frozen peaches if fresh fruits are not available.

Peach and Blueberry Crisp With Crunchy Nut Topping

4 medium peaches, peeled and sliced

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup Whole Grain Total® cereal, slightly crushed

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 375°. Spray bottom and sides of square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches, with cooking spray.

2. Place fruit in baking dish. Stir together brown sugar, orange juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl; drizzle over fruit.

3. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed cereal and pecans. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until peaches are tender when pierced with a fork. Makes 6 servings.

Mindy Hermann