(10-09-2015, 01:31 PM)Kage Wrote: See.... when I make beef stew I typically get this brisket roast... cut that up. Sear and season, Worcestershire and like 1lb of pico de gallo. Then I add a bunch of red potatoes, celery and some carrots. Add like 2 canisters of beef broth and 1 can of El Pato Jalapeno Salsa (7 3/4 oz). Cook that forever and then add a box or two of lima beans probably a pound or more.Portion control can be a bit of a hassle, yeah. I totally get that. For the most part, if you're without a way to properly measure, what is considered a portion/serving these days can pretty much be eyeballed in comparison to one's hand -- meat, grains, and beans, it's the size of the palm of the hand. Veggies, fruits, and actual nuts, it's a full handful. Cheese and peanut-butter, your whole thumb. Mayo and other condiments, the top half of your thumb.
It lasts for a long while but the space we have now for 4 people means I can't... quite make that much. Ever. I have no idea how to portion control for 1 person! :< Except... hi Kage buy one chicken/beef steak. That's part of a portion! But I can't eat steak all the time.
... even if I wish to.
One serving of red meat/poultry is four ounces, raw. If you're looking at packages, that's about a quarter of a pound.
A serving of veggies is about one cup, raw. Ounces-wise, this is around 4.5oz, so just slightly less than a third of a pound.
A serving of potato is one medium potato, which is about what fits inside the hand of the average person.
Beans, the serving size is about a quarter cup dry or 1/2 cup re-hydrated/soft. Same thing with barley, rice, quinoa, and the like.
Both pico de gallo and salsa, a serving is between 1/4 and 1/2 cup, depending on contents.
So... for three meals of stew (dinner tonight and lunch and dinner tomorrow, plus a little left over if you're extra hungry or that you can freeze) based off of what you typically make, you'd need a pound of raw beef, up to a pound and a half of carrots and celery, two medium potatoes/up to four regular-sized red potatoes, a cup of dry beans, and probably no more than a half cup each of pico de gallo and salsa.Â
You probably only need one box (totally serious here, spring for the box over the cans, because you can refrigerate the boxes easily if you don't need it all) of low-sodium or no-sodium added beef broth/stock, and do NOT use Swanson unless it's literally your only option; their 'low sodium' stuff still has more sodium than 90% of the regular-sodium broths by other companies. Kitchen Basics or (gasp) Rachel Ray brands are in most stores and Walmarts, so look for theirs. Worst to worst, use the low-sodium for the store/generic brand. Just avoid Swanson as best you can.
And after you're done cooking (and before you eat), portion it all out into the ziploc bags. Or tupperware containers, or mason jars, or whatever you have handy.
