Are you eating what you think you should but still not losing weight? You can eat too much even if what you are eating is good for you. Food packaging can be confusing (if not deceiving). On a box of pasta, I have found “1 serving, 1/4 of box” listed in cooking directions but on the nutritional label “servings per container - 7”.
Although the terms serving and portion are often used interchangeably they are in fact very different and this is where much of the confusion lies. A portion is the amount of food you choose to eat (or that is served to you). A serving is the amount that experts recommend you eat. It is a standardized way of measuring food.
Portions have grown over the years. Packages dictate what is a “serving” for the nutrition label (although the word portion should be used here). They tell us what one might typically eat. Portion sizes of packaged food and food prepared at restaurants and at home have increased in the last 20 years (as well as waistlines).
So go ahead and get out your measuring cups and scales. You’re likely to be surprised at what a serving truly looks like. If you’re trying to eat less, use a smaller plate or divide your restaurant meal in half before you begin eating.
Serving sizes:
Grains:
Bread 1 ounce, 1 small slice, ½ bagel, ½ bun
½ cup cooked rice, pasta, oats, cold cereal
Fruits and vegetables:
½ cup raw, canned, frozen fruit
¼ cup dried fruit
1 cup raw vegetables
½ cup cooked vegetables
6 ounces fruit or vegetable juice
Meat (or alternatives):
3 ounces cooked beef, poultry, fish, tofu
½ cup cooked beans
2 tablespoons or 1 ounce nuts, seeds, or nut butters
Dairy:
1 ounce cheese (thin slice or a pair of dice sized chunk)
1 cup milk or yogurt
Fat and oils:
1 teaspoon butter, margarine, oil (about size of 1 die)
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