Food Portions: How Much Should I Eat?

Overview

Eating the right amount of food is an important part of staying healthy. Before you learn how to build good-for-you meals, it helps to know why portion size is important.

Why Does It Matter How Much I Eat?

If we eat more than we need to, our bodies take in more calories than they can burn. And this is easy to do because we've become so used to seeing (and eating) large portions and not practicing portion control.

Why do restaurants and food manufacturers serve larger portions? Because customers like getting the best value for their money. But big meals are no deal when they’re too high in fat, sugar, and calories and may lead to health problems over time.

Overeating & Your Health

People who consistently overeat are more likely to become overweight. This means they’re more likely to have medical problems like: 

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• type 2 diabetes
• breathing problems
• depression

Later in life, people who are overweight have a greater chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

Serving Size vs. Portion Size

So what can you do to keep portions under control? A good place to start is knowing about serving sizes and portion sizes of different foods.

Serving Size

Look at the label on any food package and you'll see a nutrition information section that gives a serving size for that food. The serving size is based on the amount of food people typically eat, not how much they should eat. Serving sizes help you see how many calories and nutrients — including fat, sugar, and salt — you get from eating a certain amount of that food.

Sometimes the serving size on a package will be less than you eat. Knowing the serving size can help guide you toward healthy food options.

Portion Size

The portion size is the amount of food you actually eat. In some cases, like vegetables, it's perfectly OK (and even a good idea) to eat a larger portion than the serving size listed on the package.

But when it comes to foods that are high in calories, fat, or sugar, the serving size can alert you that you may be getting more than is healthy.

Let's say you buy a 3-ounce bag of cookies and you eat the whole bag. If the label shows the serving size is 1 ounce, not only did you have three servings, you also had three times the listed calories as well as three times the sugar.

How to Plan What to Eat Every Day

Serving sizes tell you how much people typically eat and the nutrition in that amount. Serving sizes don’t tell you how much to eat or which foods you need to stay healthy. That's where making a plan for healthy eating comes in. 

 First, pick foods from the five food groups:

• fruits
• vegetables
• grains
• protein
• dairy

Aim for a balanced diet, which means including foods from different food groups at each meal. 

Think of the goals as an entire day's worth of eating. So, throughout the day, try to make half of what you eat fruits and vegetables, and the other half grains (preferably a whole grain, like brown rice or whole-wheat bread) and protein foods — like chicken or beans. Just avoid piling food high on the plate. An occasional treat is fine but limit foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients.

How Do I Measure Food Portions?

Serving sizes on food labels and recommended amounts are usually given in grams, ounces, or cups. So how can you translate those amounts into portions you can relate to? That's where visual cues come in:

• Try using a kitchen scale and measuring cups to help make meals and build good portion control habits. It’s also an easy way to sneak in some math practice.
• Think of (or even use) an ice cream scoop when you’re having rice because that’s about the size of one portion of it. 
• Keep a deck of cards in the kitchen to measure a portion of meat or poultry (like chicken breast) — they’re about the same size. 
• Measure portions quickly by using your hand as a guide:
  • Closed fist: a portion of pasta, rice, cereal, vegetables, or fruit
  • Palm: a portion of meat
  • Top of the thumb: added fats like butter, mayonnaise, or salad dressing

Take Charge of Your Eating Habits

Healthy eating is easier when you have simple habits to follow. Here are some helpful ways to make better choices at home and school, and on the go.

At Meals

• Choose a small plate so your meal looks larger. 
• Eat slowly and chew well. Give yourself a chance to notice if you feel full before you take more. If you do want seconds, reach for more salad or veggies.
• Have three well-balanced meals (with vegetables, fruit, proteins, and grains) and one or two healthy snacks at regular times throughout the day. Skipping meals or waiting too long between them can make you overeat later.
• Add more salads, other vegetables, and fruit to your diet, especially at the start of a meal. This can help you feel full without adding a lot of calories.
• Listen to your body's natural signals about when it's hungry or full. Let your stomach, rather than your eyes, tell you when you're done with a meal. 

When Snacking

• Skip eating from an entire bag of chips or a container of ice cream. If you put your snack in a bowl and sit at a table to eat it, you're less likely to overeat. 
• Try single-serving size foods to help your body learn what a typical portion is.
• Avoid eating in front of the TV or while scrolling on your phone or other screens. It’s easy to lose track of how much you’ve eaten.

When Eating Out or on the Go

• Be aware that most restaurant portions are much larger than you need. Share meals with friends, order an appetizer as your main dish, or pack up part of the meal to take home before you begin to eat.
• Skip the giant value meal and the jumbo drink. Even though they cost just a little more than the regular size, they often have a lot more calories.

If you have questions about how to eat healthy or are just wondering how to fit in more servings of fruit and vegetables per day, talk with your doctor.