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Portion Size:

Why is it Important to Understand Portions?

So you’ve been filling your plates with whole grains, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables, but don’t understand why the scale seems stuck. The hidden culprit here might not be what you’re eating, but how much you’re eating. A “portion” is the amount of food you choose to eat for a meal or a snack, and generally differs from the recommended serving (1). A serving size is a measured amount of food or drink and is listed on the product’s Nutrition Facts panel (1).

Consumers often don’t realize they are eating more than the recommended serving because they have become accustomed to seeing larger portions served, either at home or in restaurants. The size of restaurant portions has increased dramatically from 20 years ago, adding 200 to 1000 more calories to old favorites (NHBLI, 2008). Luckily, there are many simple steps you can take to prevent overeating, beginning with plate construction. The plate below contains the ideal balance of fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and protein necessary for optimal body function and performance.

The Ideal Plate
Composed of: ½ Fruits and Vegetables
¼ Whole Grains (Carbohydrates)
¼ Lean Protein

Portion Control Research:

Hannum et. al. (3) conducted an 8 week randomized study on sixty women between the ages of 24 and 60 to determine the effectiveness of a portion controlled diet versus a self-selected diet; both of which were based on the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) from the United States Department of Agriculture.  The women were randomized into two groups, portion controlled and self selected. The portion control group was fed two frozen entrees in addition to food servings from the FGP daily, and the self-selected group was instructed to consume a specific number of servings from the FGP.

Though the diets were structured to have the same number of calories (1365) and composition of macronutrients (55% CHO, 25% PRO, 20% FAT), at the conclusion of the 8 week period, the portion control group experienced greater losses than the self-selected group. More specifically, the portion control group saw 2.3% increase in the amount of weight lost, a loss of fat mass (3.6 +/- 1.8 vs. 2.3 +/- 1.4), a 5.7% drop in total cholesterol, and a decrease in fasting insulin (-1.8 +/- 3.7 vs. 0.3+/-3.8) when compared to the self selected group. These results support the study’s hypothesis that proper portion control is a more effective way to improve health than a self-selected diet.

The Tools:

In order to understand the amount of food that should make up a single portion, it’s necessary to measure the amount of food you’re currently eating. There are several different tools available to measure your food depending on its composition.

For solids such as pasta, rice, cereals, fruits, and vegetables, the best tool is a standard set of dry measuring cups, while condiments are most easily measured with a set of measuring spoons. For liquids, a liquid measuring cup is easiest. Meat and other hard-to-measure items work best with a kitchen scale. Snack foods like chips, crackers, and pretzels are most easily measured by simply counting out number of pieces in the serving listed on the Nutrition Facts panel.

The good news about portion control is that after measuring out standard serving sizes a few times, you will have a better understanding of what a single serving looks like and won’t always need to bring out the measuring tools when preparing food. 

Appearances can be deceiving

When you’re eating at home and can serve yourself, there’s a different set of culprits to worry about. Plate, bowl, and glass size must be considered when serving yourself, as well as the form the food comes in and how it’s dispersed among your plate. Using larger dishes tends to lead to the consumption of more food because we have a tendency to fill a plate, bowl or cup to the brim when eating, and then feel obligated to finish our meal, even if we aren’t hungry. For example, a ¾ cup serving of juice looks much more appropriate in a 6 ounce cup than a 12 ounce mug. The smaller amount of juice in the larger mug might lead you to add another 4-6 ounces of juice, causing you to consume twice as many calories as you originally intended.

• The form of the food can also be deceiving – for example, the same amount of cheese looks much different depending on whether it’s sliced, shredded, cubed, or whole. Additionally, a plate with a cup of rice looks different when it’s sitting in a mound on your plate versus when it’s spread out.

However, depending on the setting, you won’t always have a set of measuring tools on hand. In times like this, you can compare the food you’re eating to an everyday object of the same size to ensure you aren’t eating extra unwanted calories.

(Estimating Portion Sizes with Everyday Objects, 2008)

Helpful Hints for Decreasing Portion Size:

• At Home:
  • Measure out a serving of your favorite snack from the larger bag and set aside pre-portioned amounts for guilt free snacking.
  • Actively eat. Eating while watching TV or engaging in other activities tends to distract you and causes you to eat more without realizing it.
  • Establish regular meal/snack times so you won’t go too long without eating. Going too long without eating tends to lead to over-indulgence at the next meal.
  • Follow the hunger scale: Rate your hunger on a level of 1 (stuffed) to 12 (ravenous), and stop eating when you reach a 3; this helps you to slow down your eating and pay attention to your body’s internal signals indicating satiation.
  • Build your plate around vegetables and fruit for extra nutrients and make meat a side dish.
  • Serve your meals on salad plates and use juice glasses for beverages; the smaller sizes automatically adjust your portions.
• Eating Out:
  • Ask for a box and put half of your meal in it at the start. Restaurant portions are often too big and dividing your meal will provide a normal portion size.
  • Split an entrée with a friend, or order an appetizer as your meal.
  • Order a salad or soup before your meal to increase the vegetables and fiber content of your meal; this will make you feel full longer.
  • Request the bread basket not be brought before the meal to ward off mindless munching.
  • Resist the “supersize” option. Your waist and wallet will thank you!
  • Look at the menu prior to arriving and come in with a plan of what you want to order to avoid impulse eating.
  • Don’t drink away your calories. Whole foods are more satiating.

References:

1. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Health. Portion Distortion and Serving Size. Retrieved June 18, 2008, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/learn-it/distortion.htm.
2. McGee, S., Roberts, K., Karam, M., Roper, K. (April 11, 2008). Estimating Portion Size with Everyday Objects. Retrieved June 18, 2008, from http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Estimating_Portion_Size_With_Everyday_Objects.
3. Hannum, S. M., Carson, L. A., Evans, E. M., Canene, K. A., Petr, E. L., Bui, L., et al. Use of Portion-Controlled Entrees Enhances Weight Loss in Women. Obesity, 12(3), 538-546.