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To achieve or maintain a healthy weight, understanding food portions is as crucial as the food choices you make. Are you aware of what constitutes an appropriate food portion for your needs? Do you understand the distinction between a portion and a serving size? This article will clarify the concepts of portions and servings and offer practical advice to help you consume just the right amount of food.

Portion vs. Serving: Understanding the Difference

A portion refers to the amount of food you decide to eat at any given time – whether you’re dining out, eating from a packaged product, or enjoying a meal at home. In contrast, a serving, or serving size, is a standardized amount of food, as listed on the Nutrition Facts label of packaged foods. This serving size is a specific, measured quantity intended to represent a single serving of that product.

Serving sizes are standardized to allow for nutritional comparisons across different products. These sizes are presented in common measurements like cups, ounces, grams, pieces, slices, or numerical counts (e.g., 3 crackers). It’s important to note that your chosen portion size may or may not align with the manufacturer’s serving size recommendation. You might choose to eat more or less than the listed serving size.

To determine the number of servings in a food container, refer to the “Servings per Container” information at the top of the Nutrition Facts label, directly above “Serving Size.” For example, a frozen lasagna might list a serving size as 1 cup, but the entire container may contain four servings. If you consume 2 cups, you are actually eating two servings.

Understanding serving sizes is vital for calorie counting and nutrient intake management.

• 1 serving = 280 calories
• 2 servings = 280 calories × 2 = 560 calories

Consuming two servings would double your calorie and nutrient intake compared to what is indicated for a single serving on the food label.

Figure 1. Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label for Portion Control

Evolution of Serving Size Recommendations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated serving sizes for various food and beverage categories to better reflect typical consumption habits. These adjustments, part of the Nutrition Facts label updates, may result in serving sizes appearing larger or smaller than previous recommendations. For instance, the serving size for ice cream was previously ½ cup but is now ⅔ cup. Yogurt serving sizes changed from 8 ounces to 6 ounces.

It’s crucial to remember that the serving size on a food label is not a recommended portion size for you to consume. It is simply a standardized reference amount for nutritional information.

Figure 2. Changes in FDA Serving Sizes: Ice Cream and Soda

Determining Your Ideal Food Portion Size

The serving size indicated on a food label might not be the ideal amount for you to eat. Individual calorie needs to maintain or lose weight are influenced by several factors:

• Age
• Current weight and height
• Metabolism
• Gender
• Activity level

For example, a woman weighing 150 pounds who walks briefly once a week requires fewer calories than a similarly sized woman who engages in rigorous exercise like running several times weekly.

To estimate your personalized calorie needs, consider consulting resources like the MyPlate Plan or a registered dietitian.

Utilizing Nutrition Facts Labels for Portion Management

The FDA’s Nutrition Facts label, found on most packaged foods, is a valuable tool for managing food portions. It provides information on calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients per serving. Given that many packaged foods contain multiple servings, the updated label emphasizes calorie information per serving in larger, more prominent print for easier readability.

Key Information on Nutrition Facts Labels

Beyond calorie counts, the Nutrition Facts label offers other essential details per serving, such as:

Figure 3. Side-by-Side Comparison: Original vs. Updated Nutrition Facts Labels

Combining Nutrition Facts with MyPlate for Balanced Portions

For a holistic approach to healthy eating, integrate the Nutrition Facts label with the MyPlate guidelines. MyPlate offers personalized recommendations for daily calorie intake and food group proportions. Using these resources together can help you determine appropriate portions of vegetables, fruits, grains, protein foods, and dairy to meet your nutritional needs.

Figure 4. Integrating Nutrition Facts Label and MyPlate Dietary Guidelines

Tracking Your Food Intake for Portion Awareness

Beyond reading food labels, monitoring your eating habits is crucial for portion control. Keeping track of:

• What you eat
• When you eat
• Where you eat
• Why you eat
• How much you eat

can reveal patterns and areas for improvement. Utilize a food tracker app, a journal, or a digital document to record your meals and snacks. Apps like the Start Simple with MyPlate app offer user-friendly interfaces for tracking food intake and physical activity.

The sample food tracker below illustrates a day of eating, highlighting both healthy portion choices and instances of overeating due to boredom or hunger. By reviewing your food tracker, you can identify triggers for unhealthy eating and make informed adjustments.

Figure 5. Sample Daily Food Tracker for Portion Monitoring

Thursday

If you recognize emotional eating patterns in your tracker, try engaging in alternative activities when not truly hungry. Reach out to friends, take a walk break at work, or opt for healthier snack alternatives like fruit, nuts, or vegetables with hummus.

Portion Control Strategies at Home

You don’t need to meticulously measure every meal for life, but practicing portion control can be beneficial to learn standard serving sizes. Implement these strategies at home:

• Serve yourself a single serving according to the food label and eat from a plate, avoiding eating directly from containers.
• Minimize distractions while eating, such as TV, driving, or working.
• Practice mindful eating: focus on the taste, smell, and texture of your food, chewing thoroughly.
• Eat slowly, allowing at least 15 minutes for your brain to register fullness.
• Use smaller plates, bowls, and glasses to naturally reduce portion sizes.
• Limit high-calorie, high-fat foods like desserts, chips, and processed snacks.
• Freeze leftover portions immediately to avoid overeating and create convenient future meals.
• Maintain regular meal times to prevent overeating due to excessive hunger.
• Purchase single-serving snacks or divide larger packages into individual portions upon arrival home.

Portion Management When Eating Out

While home cooking offers more portion control, these tips can help you manage portions when dining out:

• Share a meal with a companion or take half of your meal home for later.
• Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets, opting for restaurants with portion-controlled healthy options.
• Order healthy appetizers or side dishes as your main meal, such as grilled seafood, salads with dressing on the side, or roasted vegetables.
• Request bread or chip baskets to be removed from the table.
• Choose smaller sizes for drinks, salads, and desserts when available.
• Look for calorie information on menus to make informed choices about restaurant portions.
• Stop eating when you feel full, focusing on enjoying the company and atmosphere.

Rethinking Value Meals: Quality over Quantity

Super-sized meals might seem like economical deals, but they often lead to excessive calorie consumption. Consider the long-term health implications before opting for “value meal combos.” Prioritize your health and wallet by making mindful choices.

Economical Healthy Eating and Portion Control

Healthy eating on a budget is achievable. Consider these cost-saving strategies:

• Purchase seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, exploring local farmers’ markets for potentially affordable produce. Compare prices to grocery stores and buy only what you’ll use to prevent waste.
• Align your portions with serving sizes on packaged foods to maximize value and manage intake of fat, sugar, salt, and calories.
• When dining out with a group, consider “family-style” ordering to share dishes and control portions while sampling variety.

Clinical Trials for Weight Management

The NIDDK supports clinical trials for weight management, seeking innovative approaches to prevention, detection, and treatment to improve health outcomes.

Participating in Weight Management Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are essential for medical advancement, involving volunteers to enhance understanding of diseases and improve future healthcare.

Learn more about clinical trials and participation.

Watch a video about the importance of clinical trial participation.

Finding Weight Management Clinical Studies

Explore weight management clinical studies at ClinicalTrials.gov. This resource includes federally funded studies and others from diverse institutions. Always consult your healthcare provider before participating in any clinical study.

Last Reviewed July 2021

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This content is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK content is rigorously reviewed by scientists and experts to ensure accuracy and reliability for patients, professionals, and the public.

The NIDDK thanks Carla Miller, Ph.D., R.D., Professor, Ohio State University, for her expert contribution.