You’re at your favorite restaurant and your meal just came out. Imagine what this looks like on your plate. Is the plate full and mounded plenty high? Do you eat all of it, portion it out and save the rest for another meal, or maybe even share the meal? What even is a proper serving of meat, pasta, vegetables, etc? 

We are currently in an era of portion distortion. Clever marketing campaigns, our obsession of getting our money's worth, and much of the country being taught to clean their plates has led to this current situation. Unfortunately, our metabolisms have not increased with our portions.

What is a proper portion?

Portions are dependent on calories and macronutrients you personally need. This may vary greatly from your spouse, friend or sibling. Work with a dietitian to determine your daily intake requirements. 

Not ready to work with a dietitian to determine your personal daily requirements? There are general portion sizes that are a good place to start for the average American. Keep in mind that we are all very different and will have different nutritional requirements. However, this is a good place to start to build a strong nutritional foundation to later build on.

Vegetables

• Leafy greens - 2 cups

• Cut vegetables - 1 cup

Fruits

• Whole fruit - 1 

• Cut fruit - 1 cup

Grains 

• Bread - 1 slice

• Cereal - 1 cup

• Cooked pasta, rice, oatmeal - ½ cup

• Popcorn - 3 cups

Dairy

• Milk - 1 cup

• Yogurt - 1 cup

• Cheese - 1 slice or 1 ounce

Meat 

• Beef, Pork, Chicken - 3 oz

• Fatty fish - 3-4 oz filet

• White fish - 3-4 oz filet

Nuts/Seeds

• Mixed nuts - ¼ cup or 1 ounce

• Seeds (sunflower kernels) - ¼ cup or 4 Tbsp

• Peanut butter - 1-2 Tbsp

Tips to improve Your portions

The easiest way to start reducing your portions now is to start using smaller plates, bowls, and cups. Instead of using a dinner plate, try plating your meal on a dessert plate. This way you can still make your normal sized meal but have more leftovers. With the cost of food increasing these days and inflation on the rise, this is an easy way to stretch your family's food budget as well. 

Who doesn’t like the idea of losing some weight and saving some money at the same time! 

Besides using smaller dishware, it is useful to know normal portions of popular foods. Instead of remembering cups and ounces, use everyday objects to compare your food to. Your own hand is a great tool that’s always handy!

Use these handy tips to start adjusting your portion sizes. There may be days that you feel like eating more. Remember that our metabolic rate is not static and some days you may need more energy intake. This could be because you went on a long hike that day, did some exhausting garden work, played an impromptu soccer game with the kids, etc. 

If you start your meal with an average portion size and still feel hungry after you eat, it’s okay to serve yourself some more. If you want to learn more about listening to your body’s cues about how much you need to eat, schedule your free consultation to find out if intuitive eating is a good option for you. 

Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD