Planning your meals can be confusing. What, exactly, is a serving or a portion? A portion is the amount of food you eat in one meal or snack. A serving size is the amount of a specific food you ate or drank. An example would be how much bread you ate or how much juice you drank. To form a healthy meal, you should have both healthy serving sizes and portions.
Components of a Healthy Meal
To create a healthy and well-balanced meal, you should have foods from several different food groups on your plate. Throughout your day, you should be eating from the grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and beans, dairy, and fats and oils food groups. Each of these groups provides your body with vitamins and nutrients it needs to function. Do not skip out on a specific food group in hopes of losing weight or consuming fewer calories. Each of the food groups does not need to be present at every meal, but you may want to aim to have at least three different groups on your plate.
Serving Sizes
Specific serving sizes can vary, depending on exactly what food group you are eating. For example, a serving size of fruit, vegetables, or dairy is about 1 cup. When it comes to meat, poultry and fish, a serving size is 3 oz. an amount that is about the size of a deck of cards. A serving size of peanut butter should be the size of a ping-pong ball. For the grains group, bread should be about the size of a cassette tape and a half a baseball is about the serving size of uncooked rice and pasta.
Tips for Adequate Serving Sizes
If you're unsure what a serving size of a product is, check the label. Don't trust a package to be a single serving, as they often contain two or more. The serving sizes are frequently listed in a specific measuring device. Use measuring spoons and cups to help you portion your meals. Another option to try is serving your meals on smaller plates. Eat slowly to allow your brain time receive the message that your body is satisfied. Try leaving a little bit of food on your plate to cut down on how much you're actually consuming at each meal. Once you get to know about the size of a serving, you'll be able to accurately estimate the serving size.
Importance of a Serving Size
Although it may not seem like it will make a big difference if you eat a cup or a cup and a half, serving sizes are important. Think about every time you over eat a specific serving. You're adding calories and maybe even more sugar or sodium to each meal. Measuring out serving sizes can help you to consume fewer calories and more closely monitor your diet.
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