How to Curb Your Portion Sizes Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Weight Management Eat Well Strategies How to Curb Your Portion Sizes By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 21, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT Medically reviewed by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT is a New York City-based telehealth registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition communications expert. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Image Source/Stockbyte/Getty Images People often use the words "portion" and "serving" interchangeably, but portions and servings are not always the same size. And that matters if you're watching your calorie intake and reading nutrition labels. A portion is any amount of a specific food you choose to put on your plate while a serving is a recommended amount of that food based on health and nutrition guides like the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPlate.gov. Mixing up portions and servings can cause confusion that may lead to consuming excess calories, especially when you eat energy-dense foods and high-calorie snacks. Here's an example. According to the Department of Agriculture, one serving from the grain and cereal group is equal to one ounce. That's not much. One ounce of cooked white rice is only about one-half cup. The portion of rice you put on your plate may be much bigger, so you may think you're only eating one serving of rice when you're really eating two or three. That matters because each half-cup of rice adds about 100 calories to your meal, so you might think you're only eating 100 calories, but in truth, you're eating 200 or 300. You can see how the calories can add up quickly. Controlling Portions Become familiar with serving sizes for the foods you eat every day. Packaged foods always show the serving size information on the Nutrient Facts labels, usually in ounces or in common kitchen measurements. You can also use an inexpensive kitchen scale, along with a few measuring cups and measuring spoons to measure your portions of foods at home until you feel comfortable estimating serving sizes without them. Food Serving Size Protein foods 1 ounce lean meats, poultry, or seafood, 1 egg, 1/4 cup cooked beans or tofu, 1 tbsp nut or seed butter Vegetable 1 cup raw or cooked, 2 cups of leafy green vegetables, 1/2 cup of dried vegetable Fruit 1 cup of raw or cooked, 1 cup fruit juice, 1/2 cup dried fruit Dairy 1 cup cow's milk, yogurt, or fortified soy milk, 1 1/2 ounce of natural cheese such as cheddar cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese. Once you get comfortable with understanding serving sizes, you can use that information to track your calories accurately in a food diary or on a diet website. Serving Sizes for Chicken, Cereal, and Other Common Foods Tips for Controlling Your Portion Sizes If you eat at a restaurant, ask for a container and take half of your meal home, or split your meal with your dining partner. If you like to snack while watching TV, measure out one serving of your snack—don't take a whole bag of chips with you into your TV room. Serve dinner on individual plates, rather than family style (serving dishes on the table). You'll be less tempted to load up on second servings if they're not right in front of you. Start your meal with a clear soup or green salad to ease your hunger a bit so that you aren't as likely to overeat. If cutting calories leaves you feeling hungry, add extra servings of nutrient-dense vegetables like carrots, green beans, and celery rather than higher-calorie starches. Drink water throughout the day, so you don't replace thirst with hunger causing you to eat more calories than you need. Make sure you don't skip meals because the resulting hunger may interfere with your ability to portion meals. Take your time at mealtime as it takes your brain about 20 minutes from the time you start eating to process a feeling of fullness. Serving Sizes for Chicken, Cereal, and Other Common Foods Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight." Updated August 18, 2015. The United States Department of Agriculture. "Choose My Plate." By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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