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Christine Zellers, Assistant Professor/Educator Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County, Department of Family and Community Health Sciences
Have you ever heard, too much of a good thing can be bad? When it comes to portion sizes this can be true and it is important to keep this in mind when eating, even healthy foods. For instance, nuts are a good source of plant-based protein but eating an entire jar of peanuts may not be beneficial. Nuts are nutrient dense which means they are filled with plenty of vitamins and minerals, but they are also calorically dense meaning its harder to burn a lot of them. This doesn’t mean you should stop eating a variety healthy of foods, but it is good to remember that portion sizes help us to maintain a healthy weight, prevent chronic disease and enjoy foods.
When it comes to portions it’s important to know the difference between a serving size and a portion. A serving size which is indicated on the top of the nutrition facts label shows how much the average person eats of that food. These averages are based on a 2,000-calorie diet, which is also an average. This means that depending on your age, gender, and activity level you may need more or less of a food. To find out how many calories you need per day visit myplate.gov and enter your personal information. This will help determine if you need more or less of the serving size. If the My Plate guide says you should have a 1500 calorie/day intake then you should reduce the serving size from what the nutrition fact label says, however if it says you need 2500 calories/day then you should increase the serving size. Portions are the amount of food each person takes for themselves and this could vary from day to day and meal to meal. When you think about a portion think about how much you put on your plate, this may be too much or too little making it important to figure out what is needed to maintain a healthy weight. Using serving sizes to determine your correct portion size will make healthy living much easier.
Knowing how much to eat and how to measure portions will make you less likely to overeat. Remember to check out how much you need for a serving size at myplate.gov and then try to make portion sizes the correct serving for your needs. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends between 2.5-6 ounces of protein per day which will vary with each individual. As an example, one small half of a chicken breast is about 3 ounces. Vegetables are nutrient dense and low in calories and that is why half of our plate should be fruits and vegetables at each meal. The fiber, vitamins and minerals in vegetables make them a great choice for staying full. Serving sizes again vary by person but aim for about a half a cup of cooked or 1 cup leafy vegetables for a serving. Fruits like vegetables are good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals and a serving is generally about 1 medium apple. One cup of milk is a serving size as is 1.5 ounces of cheese. For grains a slice of bread or a half a cup of rice is a serving, this means a sandwich is two serving sizes if it contains two slices of bread. The sandwich may be your portion size, but it is two servings for most people.
To keep portions aligned with serving sizes take small steps to monitor how much you are eating. When pouring cereal from the box it is common to pour more than a serving size. Try putting the amount you usually eat in a bowl then measuring it and you will have a better idea of how much you are eating. Using a smaller plate at meals is a visual trick to make you eat less and putting more veggies on that smaller plate will mean less calories and more nutrients. Try to put down the fork between bites and chew thoroughly to avoid eating too much. Your thumb print can be used as a comparison to a tablespoon of peanut butter, the length of your thumb to compare an ounce and a half of cheese or the palm of your hand to demonstrate 3-4 ounces of animal protein. Hand measurements are not scientifically based but will give you a better idea of how much you are eating when measuring tools are unavailable. After a while recognizing portion sizes will be easy.