What Is A Portion Anyway?

 

It may seem like an obvious question, but according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) only 45% of Americans were able to correctly define portion size. About a third of those surveyed confused portion size with serving size. This confusion serves only those selling you your food. So here is the difference. Portion Size is the amount of food you choose or are given to eat at one time. Serving Size is a standardized measure of food quantity established by the Food and Drug Administration for use on food nutrition labels.

While serving sizes have changed little over time, food portions in America's restaurants have increased by 100% to 200% over the last 20 years, a key factor that is contributing to a potentially devastating increase in obesity among children and adults. "Super-sized portions at restaurants have distorted what Americans consider a normal portion size, and that affects how much we eat at home as well," said Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel, director of NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Larger portions mean more calories, which can quickly add up to extra weight.

Food producers take advantage of something researchers call "unit bias" to encourage you to overconsume their product. When your brain sees a unit of food that could reasonably be consumed at one time, say a large plateful of food or a bag of chips, it assumed this is the right amount for a portion - regardless of how much food it may be. Combined with frequent exposure to too-large portion sizes in stores and restaurants, unit bias causes us to consume more food than we need, or even want.

For free guidance on portion sizes that are right for you, check out myplate.gov. Become aware of the serving sizes listed on all food products. Start there and adjust them to your needs. Instead of eating more than a serving, try combining foods: topping your ice cream with berries or nuts, say, or crumbling up some cookies on low fat yogurt. Remember, no one is looking out for your health but you.