What’s The Difference Between Portion Size And Serving Size?

What’s the difference between portion size and serving size? It’s the difference between what you actually eat and how much you should eat. If you order a meal in a restaurant, they serve you a portion. When you consume a bowl of cereal, you decide how much to pour from the box, so it’s also portion size. Serving size is quite different. When you read the cereal box, it gives you the serving size. Your portion size may be multiple servings of the cereal. Knowing what the serving size is can help you lose weight.

Portion sizes got bigger in restaurants.

Quantity does not necessarily mean quality but people love restaurants that give them more for their money. Many of the foods added to meals are higher in calories, but lower in cost. A few examples are the endless breadsticks, tortilla chips and salsa, and pasta. All are served in abundance, packing on calories without a lot of added nutrition. In the last 40 years, restaurant portion sizes have grown considerably. The same may be true for meals served at home.

You decide what your portion will be, so learn what a healthy serving size is.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t have to worry about the serving size of a leafy green salad or raw vegetables. Even if you ate twice as much as you should, it won’t add that many calories. Pay close attention to the amount of dressing or any veggie dip. Learning serving size can help you get back in control. If you’re eating meat, a serving size is the size of a deck of playing cards. Four dice in a stack is the serving size of one ounce of cheese.

Tracking your serving size helps ensure you get adequate nutrients and fiber.

Not only does knowing serving size help you lose weight, but it can also improve your overall nutrition. Are you getting adequate leafy greens? One serving size is a cup. A serving of vegetable juice is a half-cup. You need to consume two and a half to three cups of vegetables a day. That’s about five to six servings. Don’t include potatoes in the amount. It counts as a starchy food. You can eat raw, steamed, baked, or grilled vegetables without any sauces liberally without worry.

• A serving size of peanut butter is one tablespoon. If you want a treat that can fill you up and looks like a lot, eat a serving of popcorn. There are three cups of popcorn per serving.
• In the past 35 years, the average American diet has grown by 300 calories daily. Since it takes 3500 excess calories to gain a pound, it would only take the average American 12 days.
• Many restaurant meals are big enough for two people. If the restaurant charges extra for splitting meals or you can’t share, eat half the meal and take the rest home for the next evening.
• Choose the smallest portion size. If they have a child’s portion, opt for that and order extra vegetables as side dishes. Sometimes, appetizers are enough for the main dish if you combine them with a salad and vegetables.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness Studio