What is the difference between a serving size and a portion of food

Two different brands of rice will always have the same serving size on the label on the box. Portion size, on the other hand, is the amount of food you choose to consume. Portion size is usually more than the serving size which is how food manufacturers make their products look healthier.

In recent decades, Americans have started to eat more than the standard serving sizes, which is one reason we are getting larger.

In response, nutrition facts labels have been under pressure from the FDA in the past few years to make serving sizes bigger to account for this change and to get real. Still, consumers are all different in size, age, and activity levels, so what could be too much for an older person is just right for a young marathon runner. That said, there are some visual recommendations to help you assess a portion size. Only about 1 in 10 Americans actually eat the recommended amount of fruits 1.

Portion sizes are provided for a large number of foods in the database. Serving sizes have visual aids, calorie measurement and full micro- and macronutrient breakdown, as shown in the image below. Clients can also set their own servings when creating a recipe or adding a food. For more information on the use of Nutritics smart potions, please visit this link. Portion Size Nutrition requirements vary from person to person, and for this reason it is difficult to estimate portion sizes for each meal.

Barriers that Affect Portion Size Control Barriers affecting portion size control are another area of key interest in the literature. Serving Size A serving is a measured amount of food or drink, such as one slice of bread or one cup eight ounces of milk.

The infographic below shows the recommended serving size by HSE Ireland. Displayed below is US national guidance for nutritional needs based on the the United States Department of Agriculture guidance 7 : Portion sizes differ throughout the world according to culture and availability of different foods. Nutritics Smart Portions Nutritics offers a smart portion feature that allows users to choose between different serving sizes for both foods and recipes. Portion A portion is the amount of a food that you choose to eat for a meal or snack.

It can be big or small— you decide. Serving A serving is a measured amount of food or drink, such as one slice of bread or 1 cup of milk. Some foods that most people consume as a single serving actually contain multiple serving sizes e. Nutrition recommendations use serving sizes to help people know how much of different types of foods they should eat to get the nutrients they need.

The Nutrition Facts Label on packaged foods also lists a serving size. While serving sizes are a valuable tool, it's important to listen to your body while eating. If you are still hungry after eating one serving, that likely means you need more food. And if you're full on less than one serving, that's OK too.

It's easy to mistake a larger portion as a better value. To overcome portion distortion and downsize your helpings, try the following:.