Display of the Month: Portion Control

The Nutrition Education Store Display of the Month fun continues this month with a spotlight on portion control! Portion control is vital, and so many of my health educator friends say that it is near and dear to their hearts. Proper portion control can have far-reaching health effects, but it's tougher than it appears at first glance. With all the oversized portions crowding coffee shop displays and restaurant plates, how are people even supposed to know what a healthful portion looks like? That's where a Portion Control Display comes in. I've studied and studied the resources at my disposal, and I think the following plan would make a great portion control display for your next event... The Materials:

Banner and Stand: Take Control of Your Portions
On Your Table: Scale Down Your Portions Poster on a Cardboard Easel and some Portion Control Brochures
Prizes: MyPlate and Salad Temporary Tattoos

The Activities:

Walk everyone through some meal and snack transformations.
Strategize about ways to scale down portions.

Let’s talk details! Set up your display area with a table. Top it with a tablecloth if you have one. Put the easel on the table, then place the Scale Down Your Portions poster on top of the easel and make sure that it's easy to see. Place the Take Control of Your Portions banner on its stand in a highly-visible spot next to your table. Fan out a few Portion Control brochures near the front of your table, where they'll be easier to grab. At another free area in the front of your table, arrange some MyPlate Temporary Tattoos and some Salad Temporary Tattoos. These will serve as prizes for the activities. And speaking of activities, here's what you'll need to do. For the meal transformation section, use a bit of blue painter's tape and some plain white paper to cover the "made over" meals on the Take Control of Your Portions banner. Review the number of calories in the large value meal featured on the poster. Is this a healthful meal? Why or why not? Ask volunteers to brainstorm ways to "make over" the meal to make it more balanced and less calorically-dense. Offer temporary tattoos to anyone who shares a good answer. Remove the painter's tape and paper from the "made over" meal on the banner. How does this one differ from the first meal? How can it be replicated in real life? Repeat the process with the chip and muffin images on the banner. The second activity is more free form. Have some volunteers share a few foods with which they have trouble controlling portions. Brainstorm as a group -- what's a good way to bring the portions back under control? You can also share strategies from some of the many portion control blog posts we've written over the years -- here are a few of the current favorites...

And there you have it! Another fun display idea for the the Nutrition Education Store Display of the Month series. And here are a few more display resources from the Nutrition Education Store. Which ones will make your life easier?

Display Kit: Color Your World with Food

Display Kit: Take 10K Steps Each Day

Display Kit: Make Your Salad a Rainbow