Portion Vs Serving
While these two terms are often used interchangeably, they mean completely different things. Knowing the difference between the two will help you make healthy choices and practice appropriate portion control.
A serving is how much of a food is recommended by consumer education materials, like MyPlate.
A portion is how much food you choose to eat at one time.
Estimating Serving Size:
3 oz of meat is the size of a deck of cards
1 cup of pasta is the size of a baseball
1 oz of cheese is the size of your thumb
½ cup of fresh fruit is the size of a tennis ball
1 teaspoon of butter is the size of a dice
Tips:
Use a smaller plate so less food will seem like more.
Don’t eat from the package so you don’t lose track of how much you eat.
-Written by Kara Schmidt, SDSU Dietetic Student
