Portions and Servings

— Written By and last updated by Nicole Vernon
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

A portion or helping is the amount of food you choose to eat. It is what you serve yourself or what might come in a package of food. A serving is the amount used to help people know how much to eat and to find out the amount of calories, fat, sugar, vitamins and other nutrients in the food or drink. We need to use MyPlate as our guide to balance out the total number of servings we eat each day. One half of our plates should be fruits and vegetables, 1/4 protein and 1/4 grains. Remember it isn’t always what we are eating, but how much we are eating. Here are some tips to measure and control portion sizes.

  • Use your plate as a portion guide. Using a plate for control can help you curb your food intake. You can divide your plate into sections based on the food groups.
  • Use your various items as a serving guide. Example: tennis ball=serving size of ice cream, medium piece of fruit, cup of cereal, medium baked potato
  • Cut the meal in half when eating out. Restaurant portions tend to be twice the size of regular portions.
  • Start all meals with a glass of water. Drinking a glass of water before a meal will naturally aide in portion control.
  • Take it slowly. Sitting down with no other distractions will regulate portion control and reduce overeating.
  • Use a food diary. Jotting down your total calorie intake can increase awareness of what you consume.

There are many practical steps that you can take to control portions. These simple changes can help with reducing portions without compromising on taste or feelings of being full.

MyPlate Inforgraphic