Portions vs. Servings
Learning how to estimate portion size and identify servings can go a long way to helping lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. It starts with knowing the difference between a portion and a serving. According to National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a “portion” is the amount of a specific food you choose to eat for a meal or snack. You also choose the size of a portion, which can be the same, bigger, or smaller than the recommended food “serving.” The list at the end includes the number of portions for each food category that are recommended for most people and matches each portion sizes with an easy way to visualize its real size.
Fight the battle of the Bulging Portion
There are several things you can do to fight the battle of the bulging portion:
- Learn to read food labels. Pay attention to the number of servings contained in the package, then note the calorie and fat content per serving. If the label on a large muffin, for example, says two servings: 250 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving, know that you will have consumed 500 calories and 20 grams of fat if you eat the entire muffin.
- Compare restaurant portions to recommended serving sizes. If you eat a restaurant portion of something – for example, bagel – compare its size to what’s recommended on the food pyramid. A standard bagel is two ounces and counts as two servings from the bread/cereal/grain food group. A restaurant or neighborhood bakery bagel may weigh nearly six ounces and count as six servings of grain. A pasta dinner from your favorite restaurant might add up to six or more servings of grains as well. If you eat a 12-ounce steak for dinner, you’ve consumed three ounces more than the recommended daily serving of protein in one meal.
- Instead of “super sizing” it, right size it. Repackage super size bags of food and snacks into serving sizes. Super size bags may be more economical, but they can also encourage you to overeat. If you buy huge bags of chips or pretzels, for example, repackage the contents into smaller containers. You are much less likely to eat 12 zipper bags of pretzels than you are to unconsciously consume nearly a whole super size bag. Some food companies are marketing smaller prepackaged snacks that make it easier to snack in moderation too.
- Eat half or less. A recent study of the National Restaurant Association found an interesting component of consumer demand: the use of the expression “Would you please wrap this up?” Restaurant diners have increasingly come to realize the value of turning tonight’s meal into tomorrow’s lunch and are having a portion of their meals wrapped up to take home at the beginning of the meal. As another strategy when eating at home, use a smaller plate. Your plate will look full, but you’ll be eating less.
