What is the difference between a standard serving and a portion

Portion sizes vary from person to person and are at the discretion of the individual. In contrast, serving sizes are standard quantities of food served e. To illustrate, a portion, or meal can contain multiple servings 2.

Nutrition requirements vary from person to person, and for this reason it is difficult to estimate portion sizes for each meal. The British Nutrition Foundation suggests these practical measurements to approximate the portion size 3 :. A study, consisting of 54 participants aged 18 to 46 years old, examined whether visual cues relating to portion size can influence intake volume without altering either estimated intake or satiation, using self-refilling soup bowls.

Participants that were unknowingly eating from self-refilling bowls ate more soup than those eating from normal soup bowls. Further research examined the effect that exposure to smaller portion sizes has on future portion size selection. Across 3 experiments, participants were served a larger or smaller portion of food. In experiments 1 and 2, participants selected and consumed a portion of that food 24 hours later.

In experiment 3, participants reported on their preferred ideal portion size of that food after 1 week. Barriers affecting portion size control are another area of key interest in the literature. Participants attributed their lack of portion size control to quantitative habits ingrained from childhood, social pressures and emotions 6.

Serving size guidance needs to resonate with consumers and be seen as relevant to their eating behaviour. However, serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods. Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view.

It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs. What's the difference between a portion and a recommended serving size? Piedmont Heart Institute. The difference between a portion and a recommended serving size is as follows: Portion A portion is the amount of a food that you choose to eat for a meal or snack. If you eat 10 crackers, your portion size was one serving.

If you eat 20 crackers, your portion size is two servings. Divide the nutritional information by two if your portion size is half the serving size, multiply the nutritional information by two if your portion size is double the serving size, etc. Also, check the number of servings in a container, especially small packages. It can be easy to consume more servings than you realize. For example, a bottled fruit smoothie may contain two servings in one relatively small bottle.

This means if you drink the entire bottle, you would receive double the amounts listed on the nutrition facts, including the calories.