Healthy Portion Sizes

Maintaining a healthy diet is not just about eating the right foods, it’s about eating the right amount of food as well. Serving sizes are the recommended amount of a certain food that should be eaten for a meal or snack. A portion size is the amount of food you choose to eat for a meal or snack. Today, many packaged foods and restaurant meals are delivered as 1 portion but contain multiple servings. For example, a 3 oz bag of chips contains 2-3 servings, and a 20 oz bottle of soda may contain 2-2.5 servings. 

In order to properly estimate the amount of food you are eating; all you need to do is use your hand. With your hand, you have everything you need to estimate portion sizes. 

  1. 3 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry
    Palm of hand (no fingers)

  2. 1 ounce of meat or cheese
    Thumb (tip to base)

  3. 1 cup or 1 medium fruit
    Fist

  4. 1–2 ounces of nuts or pretzels
    Cupped hand

  5. 1 tablespoon
    Thumb tip (tip to 1st joint)

  6. 1 teaspoon
    Fingertip (tip to 1st joint)



Sources Used

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well/meal-plan-method.html

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/eat-right/distortion.htm

Rhonda Watson