While standard serving sizes have not changed significantly since the 1970s, the average portions that Americans consume at restaurants and in packaged foods have increased, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. Inflated portion sizes are partly responsible for the rising rate of obesity in the United States, the CDC notes. Learning the difference between portion and serving sizes and keeping track of the calories in each serving may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Portions Versus Servings
A portion is the amount of food that you serve yourself at a meal or that you're offered at a restaurant or other establishment. A serving is a standardized amount of food determined by common measurements or dietary guidelines. The serving sizes determined by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, offer guidelines for managing the amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and other nutrients in your diet. By following serving sizes rather than portion sizes when you plan your meals, you gain more control over your intake of calories and fat.
Calculating Serving Sizes
The nutrition facts labels on packaged foods provide the FDA's information on serving sizes and calories. Measuring your food and comparing each serving to a calorie counter can be time-consuming and frustrating. However, in the first stages of your weight-loss program, measuring or weighing foods at meals or snacks can help you learn to determine standard serving sizes. You can also use visual guides to estimate serving sizes. One-half cup serving of food is approximately the size of a half of a baseball. One cup of food is approximately the size of your fist, and two tbsp. of food are about the size of a ping pong ball, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Eating Out
The variety of restaurants in the US has increased since the 1970s, along with the portions served at restaurants, according to the CDC. Fast-food chains offer super-sized hamburgers, fries and soft drinks, while family restaurants serve meals that could fulfill a large percentage of your daily energy requirements. You can reduce your caloric intake at restaurants by ordering a half portion of your favorite dish, sharing a standard portion with a friend or eating half of your meal and taking the rest home to eat the next day.
Controlling Portions
When you eat packaged foods, make a conscious effort to serve yourself smaller portions. A bag of potato chips or bottle of soda marketed as an individual portion may actually contain more than one serving. Consumers tend to eat more when they're offered larger portions of food, whether or not they're actually hungry, the CDC notes. To control your portions when eating at home, serve yourself only enough food to meet your caloric needs for that meal. After you've served the food onto your plate, take your plate to the dining area and keep the serving dishes in the kitchen to remove the temptation to take second or third helpings. When you're eating packaged snacks, use the nutrition facts label to check the amount of food in a single serving size. Place one serving in a separate dish and keep the package in a drawer or cupboard. Keeping uneaten food out of sight may help you avoid the temptation to consume too many calories.
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