In this country, where super-sized portions are as normal as, well, being super-sized, it's difficult to keep perspective on the amount of food you're actually consuming. Between monstrously sized drinks and the seemingly endless parade of food in all-you-can-eat joints and Vegas-style buffets, how do you determine what actually constitutes a normal portion size?

The folks at Calorie Count have devised a visual aid to help you. Because if you know that a normal portion of steak or halibut should be about the same size as a deck of cards, you might think twice about the behemoth on your plate. (A mnemonic device that would come in particularly handy if your buffet is actually in Las Vegas.)

The visual aids are pragmatic and creative, good things in both memory tools and visual aids. For example, a portion of chocolate should be about the size of a standard dental floss package; that pancake you're eating should be about the size of your Blunderbuss CD; and the amount of butter or oil you consume should resemble a poker chip in size. Maybe the people at Calorie Count spend a lot of time playing poker instead of over-eating. Whatever works, I guess.

CalorieCount.com is a free online resource that contains a nutrition database and provides online help for dieters. The site is run by About Inc., which is part of the New York Times Co.

Credit: Calorie Count

Credit: Calorie Count

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