Rules of Thumb for Portion Sizes

In the "more must be better" viewpoint of eating today, it can be difficult to balance the energy we take in through the food we eat with the energy we expend on a daily basis. This is evidenced by the larger and larger portion sizes we find in restaurants, on the supermarket shelves, and in almost every aspect of eating.

What's the difference between a serving and a portion? A serving is a standard amount of food used as a reference to give assistance regarding how much food to eat (such as 1 cup of milk or its equivalent). The amount of a food that is considered a serving usually stays the same. A portion, in contrast, is the amount of food you choose to eat, and it may vary from one meal or snack to the next based on your appetite or hunger. How do you determine how much food is in your portion? You can use the following images as a visual reference to "right-size" your portions and avoid consuming extra calories.