Portion Size

Restaurant portions have increased substantially, often two or more times the recommended size. And it’s not just at restaurants. Portion sizes are growing at home, too. Recipes now have larger serving sizes than they did 20 years ago. This has resulted in a serious problem – portion distortion.

How to Manage Portion Distortion

Being surrounded by large portions can certainly affect your eating habits. But it’s not always necessary to clean your plate. Especially if it’s a large one. Try these tips to help tame portion distortion.

• Read labels to know suggested serving size and calories per serving.
• Educate yourself by evaluating serving sizes with a scale or measuring cup. Next time, you’ll know exactly what a cup of pasta should look like. In general, portion sizes should be about the size of a tennis ball.
• When preparing large batches of foods that can be frozen, portion them out into single-serving containers to freeze.
• When eating out, share a meal or order half.