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Portion Size & Serving Size . . . What you should know
What you need to know
We all know that eating less means fewer
calories, and that how much we eat can be as
important as what we eat. We also know in
our big world that the “bigger is better”
concept results in overflowing plates of food in
many restaurants, and with oversized portions
and all-you-can-eat buffets, it’s easy to eat too
much.
What is a Portion?
Portion size is the amount
of food you put on your
plate (or the amount of
food a restaurant puts on
your plate), or the amount
of food in your fast food bag
(like the Triple Whopper
from Burger King).
And be aware that sometimes
the packaging itself contains
more than a single serving.
Know too, that plates—and
portion sizes have grown, as
much as 60 percent in just the
last 30 years.
What is a Serving Size?
A serving size is a standard
measurement of food, such
as a cup or an ounce or a
specific number of chips. It
is the amount of food listed
on the Nutrition Facts label
on packaged food. Nutrition
information is calculated
based on that stated serving
size.
Here’s an example. A box of
cereal lists a serving size as
¾ cup. What you pour in
your cereal bowl, even if it
is three times the ¾ cup
serving size, is the portion
you decide to eat. Keep in
mind too, that the calories
listed for that ¾ cup are for
the recommended serving,
not the portion you choose.
Visual Cues
Using common visual cues to remind
yourself of appropriate serving sizes is easy
if you match foods with everyday objects.
The more you practice visualizing the cues,
the more control you'll have over portion
sizes. And, controlling portion sizes also
means controlling calories.
How Much is Too Much?

A serving of pasta should be no larger than a tennis ball

A serving of vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist, or a baseball


A normal serving of meat, fish or poultry—about the palm of your hand
(don't count your fingers!)—for example, one chicken breast, ¼ pound
hamburger patty or a medium pork chop
A 3-oz serving of fish—the size of your checkbook
Visualize . . .



A 3-oz serving of meat or poultry—a
deck of cards
A small baked potato—think computer
mouse
A teaspoon of peanut butter—the size of
your thumb tip
Remember too, that your stomach is only
about the size of two fists put together, so
more food than this is too much.
Picture This . . .

A cup of cereal—size of a fist

½ cup cooked rice or mashed potatoes—1/2 of a baseball
And here’s the part that goes with the visualization—be sure
to read labels on packaged foods and beverages so you’ll
know how many servings are included and the percentage of
recommended daily value you’re consuming.
Mindful Eating
Be mindful of “portion distortion.” While a portion
is technically the amount of a specific food you
decide to eat, be sure you have all the information
you need to know exactly how large or small that
“portion” should be—or how that “portion” might
be sabotaging your best intentions.
By visualizing what the serving should look like before you “dig-in,”
you’ll find you might actually bite off less than you can chew.
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