Take any packaged food and there will likely be a Nutrition Facts label that lists how many nutrients the food offers per serving. But if you’ve ever had a few spoonfuls of hummus and grabbed a handful of pretzels for a sandwichand suddenly surprised by the recommended serving size, you may realize that serving size doesn’t always reflect serving size.
So what is the difference between serving size and serving size? And does that matter? There is definitely some confusion about the two terms. A recent survey conducted by the International Food Information Council found that while nine out of 10 Americans say they understand portion sizes and serving sizes, 48% incorrectly associate the definition of serving size with that of serving size.
In addition, many participants allow the portion size printed on the package to dictate how much they should eat rather than their bodies indicating they are ready. hungry or full About half of those surveyed say they try to eat close to the serving size of a package to weight control and to avoid overeating.
So, we talked to registered dietitians to determine the difference between the two terms, why it matters, and how to let serving size guide you to enjoy the serving size that meets your needs, rather than the other way around.
What is a serving size?
A serving size is defined as a standardized and measured amount of food. This is most commonly used by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in reference to food groups or printed on Nutrition Facts labels of packaged foods, depending on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Outside of a label, you will see these listings in the school luncheshospital cafeterias and some restaurant menus, adds Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, LD., a registered dietitian in intuitive eating.
On a packaged product, this is usually stated in cups, ounces, grams, pieces, slices, or the like. The package will detail the Servings per container and have the Portion size determined by the manufacturer printed below, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The nutrition label will include all the nutrition facts, such as carbohydrates, proteincalories and other nutrients based on serving size, explains Alissa Rumsey, MSRDowner of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness and author of eat unapologetically.
In recent months, the US Food and Drug Administration has made changes to serving sizes on packaged goods to better reflect how Americans eat, such as changing a half cup of ice cream to two-thirds of a cup per serving. But it’s important to remember that the serving size on the label is no a recommendation of how much you should consume. More on that later.
What is a serving size?
A serving size is the amount of food you’ve chosen to eat, but your personal serving size may seem like a fraction (or several) serving sizes, and this can change from day to day, says Harbstreet. One day your food portion size may be half the recommended serving size, and another day it may be three times that, depending on your hunger levels.
But portion sizes at restaurants have increased over the years as Americans start eating heavier meals. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteSince the 1990s, common foods like bagels have doubled in size and soft drinks have tripled. In fact, American adults eat an average of 300 more calories per day than they did in 1985, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
Why does the difference between a portion and a serving matter?
In short: “A portion size is an arbitrary amount that someone else decided, it has nothing to do with your body or what you need to eat. A serving is an amount you choose to eat, based on your body’s signals, preferences, and what you need,” says Rumsey.
An easy trick to remember the difference is “S” for serving and “S” for standard, while “P” for portion and “P” for personal, explains Harbstreet.
Although the USDA publishes dietary guidelines every five years, which are a great starting point, your individual nutritional needs will vary based on your age, weight, height, metabolismgender, activity level and more, according to the NIDDK.
And while there is a science that guides serving sizes (the Food and Drug Administration based them on USDA Food Consumption Surveys as a guide), it’s critical to remember that many manufacturers who print their nutrition labels have an ulterior motive in determining serving sizes. For example, if they want to meet the government requirement to list “Low in sodium” on their packaging, they can manipulate the listed serving size to meet that number, Harbstreet warns.
“Serving sizes often give the impression that it is the Correct amount of food to eat, which is not the case,” says Rachael Hartley, RDauthor of gentle nutrition. “An adequate serving size to satisfy is not a static thing and will vary based on your level of hunger and what else you are eating as part of a meal.” For example, if you eat a serving of soup with a sandwich for lunch, it may be too much soup. But if you only eat soup for lunch, a single serving may not be enough, he explains. You’ll need to adjust your portion size accordingly.
“Serving sizes become harmful when people use the serving size on a Nutrition Facts label as a guide to whether or not to eat the food,” he warns. Tessa Nguyen, RD, LDN, professional chef and registered dietitian. “This is when foods start to polarize into good and bad binaries because of what the numbers on the Nutrition Facts label say rather than considering whether it’s a food that naturally fits into their native eating patterns.”
But that’s not to say that all serving sizes should be ignored or that they’re all bad. Harbstreet notes that they serve a purpose, especially for people who need to consider certain nutrients to help manage chronic disease, such as diabetics who take insulin based on their carbohydrate intake, or someone who struggles to include enough protein in their diet. Rumsey adds that if he just worked out or is an athlete, he may need to pay attention to getting enough carbohydrates to fuel his muscles. This is not to say that people in these categories should limit themselves to eating the recommended serving size, but rather they can use it as a guide to help meet their nutritional needs.
Find the right amount of food for you.
Harbstreet explains that you can use a hunger satiety scale to determine how much your portion size needs to be in order for you to be full and satisfied with your meal. This metric measures how full you are by checking in on yourself as you eat and rating your hunger and satisfaction on a scale of one to ten.
Check in with yourself when you’re half done, two-thirds done, and when you’re done with the serving size you gave yourself, says Harbstreet. Once you feel satisfied and comfortably full, whether it’s half a standard serving or three servings, you can consider that your serving.
“Mindfulness and being in tune with your body are helpful skills to have when it comes to eating,” adds Rumsey. “Being able to understand what your body is asking of you and respond by feeding it what it wants and needs helps you have a more enjoyable and satisfying eating experience.”
But if you’re having trouble determining your hunger and fullness, Rumsey suggests you focus on structuring your meals to be more regular (every four to five hours) and contain carbohydrates, protein and fat. A registered dietitian can also help you determine the best way to find your perfect portions. “Working with a registered dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating practices can help ensure he’s meeting his nutrition goals while avoiding developing disordered eating behaviors based on arbitrary serving size numbers,” says Nguyen.
Hartley adds that there’s generally no need to measure or weigh food yourself if you’re targeting hunger cues, unless you’re trying to stick to a specific amount of food or nutrient for a medical reason. If you need additional guidance, when the food is being served, imagine that you are making a dish for someone else, he suggests. You can probably intuitively serve food when you take it out of the equation.
If you’re not sure where to start to find the right portion size for you, portion size is a great place to start, Harbstreet says, as long as you don’t let it become a tool for restriction. And because many off-label foods don’t come with serving sizes, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests these common tools for determining the average serving size of some foods:
- A baseball or medium sized fist. Use this to measure approximately one cup of food when measuring vegetables, fruits, or juices.
- A tennis ball or a small handful. This measures about a half cup to an ounce, which is ideal for grains.
- A deck of cards or the palm of your hand. Perfect for a size of fish, chicken, beef, or other protein, it measures about 3 ounces.
- Size of a thumb. Use this to estimate about a tablespoon of nut butter.
- Mail stamp. This equates to about a teaspoon, ideal for messing with oils or fats.
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