PortionPals: Portion Control Cards

These don't seem to take into account thickness of the food item either.

I'm sure it's not for everyone, but anything that helps folks estimate their portions is better than nothing! There are various ways to estimate - I started by weighing/measuring my food, but I can pretty much 'eyeball' it now. Here's a site that provides everyday objects as measurements: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fawnia32.htm.

That's a glitzy web site! I guess that's why they need to cost so much?

I like the idea, but I wouldn't invest in the company. Can you imagine pulling out a PortionPal on a date or a business meeting? And, if you're anal enough to measure this accurately (NB - it's good to be anal about some things) then you're a good candidate for using the kind of estimates Anushka points to (I think - Anusha, your link didn't work).

I agree with Quito - I just can't see someone at a restaurant taking a piece of meat and sawing at it to fit their portion pal. I was always told to think of a deck of cards, a fist, whatever. That's much easier - and cheaper!

Interesting.
Gimmicky.
I wouldn't invest in the company either and it seems like another cop-out "aid" that allows people to avoid taking responsibility for truly understanding their nutrition needs. I've found that one week of food-weighing every now and again really gets my "eyes" back in line in terms of estimating portions.

The portion size thing may seem a little silly, but it can be helpful when you're in a situation where you have nothing else to go by.

I've tried remembering the deck of cards/fist/thumb/etc. tricks for times when I don't have control of what I am eating, but I have to use them so rarely, that I forget them. Keeping some sort of visual aid in my bag could be helpful.

Of course I could just write down the basic guidelines on a wallet sized card and keep that with me, too.

My kids liked the music on the site and asked me to play it again and again.

Interesting idea, but I can probably make my own using transparencies for a lot less.

What are the odds of someone actually carrying this with them at all times? Seems neat but a little useless. Much better to just get educated about food content and serving sizes so you can estimate contents without this kind of tool.

Gal

@Quito: The link works if you remove the . from the end of the URL.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fawnia32.htm

hmm what's up with everyone saying you have to carry these with you to restaurants? I cook at home all the time and I think this would be terrifically useful... and easier than weighing everything, that's for sure. I think it's a cute idea, maybe not something that'll change my life forever :-) but not a bad idea by any means. anything to help folks figure out proper portion size (something skewed so badly by restaurant portions!) is a good thing, imho.

I think I'd rather be fat than use something called "portion pals"

As Croc points out, the Portion Pals don't take into account the thickness of the food. I can just see someone piling up the food really high on their Portion Pal and kidding themselves they've eaten the right amount.

Personally, I like to weigh everything.

how bout some overhead transpirancies? just draw the appropriate sized rectangle on them and use it! probably cost like..1 dollar!!

Your comment about the rectangular chicken made me laugh. I don't really see how this would work for meat. I agree with Croc - how do you account for the thickness of the food?

Melsky,

Very funny. Totally with you on that. Just shoot me if I ever end up purchasing something called a "portion pal."

The criticisms here are valid. I do like the idea though. A serving of protein for a meal can be anywhere from 3 to 6 ounces and you aren't carrying a scale around with you to be sure your portions are correct. Something more portable could be useful.

I started paying attention to portion sizes when preparing meals and snacks a while ago. Now it's easy to eye a portion size and I don't have to measure and weigh the food as much.

Decreasing portion size in higher calorie foods and increasing low calorie food intake (salad ftw!) has cut my grocery bill in half and I rarely shop on the inside aisles of the store.

The 71 pounds that I lost aren't missed either. :)

Another useless waste of resources. So not eco-friendly! A bunch of people who like "the idea" of dieting will buy them and forget about them in a week at most throwing them into garbage. Nature takes the hit.

I'm sure it will help a few people, but it doesn't look like my thing :)

I would not be caught dead with that during my dates. haha :)

I prefer my good old healthy dieting system with regular exercise to keep myself in great shape any day! ( been doing that for years )

:)

As someone else pointed out, I could save myself twenty dollars by making these myself.

Are portion size and serving size the same thing? Because I'd appreciate something that would show me a serving size without having to weigh the food or whatever so that I can get my veggies and fruits in each day.

Nic said:
Are portion size and serving size the same thing? Because I'd appreciate something that would show me a serving size without having to weigh the food or whatever so that I can get my veggies and fruits in each day.[...]

Nic, roughly, for vegetables, 1 cup of raw vegetables and half a cup of cooked vegetables is a serving. The exceptions are vegetables that don't shrink when cooked, like say, steamed broccoli - 1 cup steamed broccoli is one serving, since it is still the same amount after being steamed. The ones where 1/2 cup is a serving are the ones that shrink, like spinach, for example.

Maybe not too picky. Seems an expensive way to measure portions when you can simply follow the advice that portions should be about the same size as a deck of cards...or the size of the palm or your hand.

If these were combined with a diet plan they would be much more effective I think...but not a bad idea overall, just needs to be expanded a bit.

I actually saw these on the Today Show a few weeks back and loved it so I bought them. First, they are not paper, they are made if silicone and what I found out when I received was they actually can be used as cutting boards as well. Portion Pals is not a diet, it is just a diet tool that lets you eat the food you want. Example if you are going to eat chicken, you place on disc and cut around the outline. What you find after using these for a few days is that we ALL really eat to much. My friends actually use these and they are on Jenny Craig. The just use on the days off or if you feel like eating some of your own food. For $18 these really did help me. I already lost 7 lbs and it is absolutely because I am eating smaller portions. As far as the deck of cards, thickness etc, yes, your supposed to have meat the height of a deck of cards but I would make a bet with anyone here - Go to your fridge and prepare the steak you you want. If you used portionpals guidelines, no matter what height of steak, the point would be you would eat approximate 60% less than you normally would. I definitely recommened (portionpal.com)

I just read about these in USA Today last Thursday, bought Friday, recieved on Monday. LOVE THEM!They come with a card that explians the thickness of meat issue and they are made of dishwaher, microwavable silicone. Bottom line is this - If you are heavy, portion control works and what these do are just help you trim down the size your eating. Yes, you could cut out a circle and make your own as well but if that was the case we could also do that for almost any product. Using them makes you feel like your eating less. I have. Its worked for me.

So, do Janice Wilkins and Judy Marshall work for the company?

Waste of money. If I'm concerned about portion size, I'll weigh my food. Once you've weighed something a few times, you can eyeball it, like most others have said.

Weighing your food? Dont get it. Dont think Im carrying a scale around and weight doesnt always equal the correct portion. Seems like a pretty good idea. Dont know if I'd buy them but like better than scale option and if it was that easy to "eyeball" we all (including myself) wouldnt be....well....fat

ok i have read all of your comment and some seem very valid. I must say this I bought this product 2 weeks ago. My husband eats everything and everything in sight. He also loves his BBQ. When I received thihs product it came with this cute little card that explain why thinkness does not matter. Lets look at it this way. If my husband and I are going to eat a rib eye we are going to eat a rib eye if I use my portionpals I know I am going to eat about 30% less rib eye. That means Less fat, less calories, less everything. So with that is mind have to say in two weeks i have lost 4 1/2 pounds and my husband alomost six pounds. So say what you wish they work.

Thanks portionpals. ps I love the song too :-)

if you buy them it tells youow thick the stuff should be, like meat should be no hicker then a deck of cards.

Absolutely the worst idea i have ever seen...i think this was done before. And it didnt work then...let me measure my food with a piece of plastic???is this a get rich scam for someone?..id like to see what the person who invented this looks like. Eat until you are full then stop. Simple. Funny let me put my lobster on the template and cut it to size...not very sanitary. someone need to get a real job.

Wow what has the world come too...lazy idea for lazy people...let me pile my sushi on these cards and then put them back in my suit jacket....or let me take a beautiful steak and cut it according to the disc...can i eat anything that fits in the rectangle? M & M's bones from my meat..whipped cream..ice cream..u look like an un educated person eating like this..they are good for placing under your potted plants

tell Paris Djon the Entrepreneur to come up with another scam like he has his whole life. Celebrities on his website do not own portion pals..people read the print on the bottom of all the pictures...not the quotes but the fine print on the botton after scrolling down ..all the celebrities he claims to have helped are already thin..Kelly Ripa please she has weighed 100 pounds her whole life and Brook Hogan?? i think hulk hogan knows how to eat and has passed it along to his daughter..she always looked great..Can u see Kelly Ripa and Brook Hogan, Joey Fatone cooking with portionpals..yeah Kelly Ripa really sits there and cuts her potions to look like rectangles. Paris stop trying to scam america...i dont know what you are going to do with all those portion pals..give them out for gifts. and get urself some better health.

Just saw this on Good Day LA. Cool idea, simple. It must work because in walmart near me they cant keep in stock. I dont care for the name of it but some people need motivation I suppose to lose the weight.

Boy Joe S

You should put down the haterade. I wouldnt buy it cause I dont need it but I also wish I came up w/the idea.

The whole idea about these portion pals is to TEACH a person what a portion size should look like. Yes, if you took these out in the restaurant it would look kinda silly. The whole point is that you practice at home, so when you're in social situations, you have practiced size and portion control. They are not just clear pieces of paper, they are silicone and double as cutting boards. They are a fun and easy way to start training yourself how to eat to live - instead of living to eat! I highly recommend these, I have lost 20 lbs with the help of these plates. Good luck no matter what you decide to do! :)

Monte said:
Wow what has the world come too...lazy idea for lazy people...let me pile my sushi on these cards and then put them back in my suit jacket....or let me take a beautiful steak and cut it according to the disc...can i eat anything that fits in the rectangle? M & M's bones from my meat..whipped cream..ice cream..u look like an un educated person [...]

Monte - lazy? I disagree. A lazy person wouldn't TRY this idea to TRY getting into better health. At least the people trying to portion size are doing something about their weight, or at least trying to.. And no, you don't eat anything you want that fits on the plate. Each plate is for specific foods. Part of the Portion Pal plan is that you also practice common sense. These are to teach people how to eat properly again. If you don't want to pull them outta your business suit, then don't - practice at home so you know what a portion is like when you're in social situations. Why would a person look "uneducated" using these? Most people are uneducated as to what a normal portion size is! That is where these come in. If you don't need them, fine. But some people do, and it obviously works, I've lost 20 lbs already.

Joe S said:
tell Paris Djon the Entrepreneur to come up with another scam like he has his whole life. Celebrities on his website do not own portion pals..people read the print on the bottom of all the pictures...not the quotes but the fine print on the botton after scrolling down ..all the celebrities he claims to have helped are already thin..Kelly Ripa pleas[...]

These plates are helping many people I know, I have 5 friends using these, who have each lost weight...so is this a scam as you say it is? You tell me.

raymond said:
Absolutely the worst idea i have ever seen...i think this was done before. And it didnt work then...let me measure my food with a piece of plastic???is this a get rich scam for someone?..id like to see what the person who invented this looks like. Eat until you are full then stop. Simple. Funny let me put my lobster on the template and cut it to s[...]

Again, you're supposed to use common sense with these plates. Obviously measuring out lobster would be hard to do on one of these things. Get rich quick scheme? Why are you so worried - if you can afford to eat lobster? hahaha. No seriously - they aren't just "pieces of plastic" they are a visual guide for people. "eat until you are full then stop"...if only it were that simple. Some people have food addictions. That's like telling someone who's on drugs or who's an alcoholic to "only do so much, then stop". Your comment holds no water.

Angela said:
As someone else pointed out, I could save myself twenty dollars by making these myself. [...]

Do you have silicone laying around to make these? Some kind of felt or paint that doesn't fade with wear and tear? Or are you going to make them out of paper and just have to make them over and over again because you can't reuse them? It would probably be less hassle to buy these. :P