Portion control how much

A portion size can vary from meal to meal. For example, at home you may serve yourself two small pancakes in one portion, but at a restaurant, you may get a large stack of pancakes as one portion.

A portion size may also be bigger than a serving size. Portion size can be a problem when eating out. Put the leftovers in the fridge as soon as possible. Then enjoy them the next day for lunch or dinner.

Previous Next 1 of 7 Visual cues for portion control Size matters. Show references Hensrud DD, et al. Set your targets. In: The Mayo Clinic Diet. Rochester, Minn. Hollands DJ, et al. Portion, package or tableware size for changing selection and consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Accessed Nov. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Reprint Permissions A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only.

For example, those who are more physically active often require more food. As vegetables and salad are naturally low in calories but high in fiber and other nutrients, filling up on these may help you avoid overeating calorie-dense foods.

Summary Using a plate as a guide for portion control can help you curb total food intake. You can divide your plate into sections based on different food groups. Another way to gauge appropriate portion size without any measuring tools is by simply using your hands.

As your hands usually correspond to your body size, bigger people who require more food typically have bigger hands 8. Summary Your hands can be a helpful guide for portion sizes. Different food groups correspond to various shapes and parts of your hands. Restaurants are notorious for serving large portions 1. In fact, restaurant serving sizes are, on average, about 2. This will save you a lot of calories and help prevent overeating. Alternatively, you could share a meal with someone or order a starter and side instead of a main dish.

Summary Restaurant portions tend to be at least twice the size of a regular portion. Prevent overeating by asking for a half portion, ordering a starter instead of a main dish and avoiding buffet-style restaurants. Filling up on water will make you feel less hungry. Being well hydrated also helps you distinguish between hunger and thirst. In another study in young normal-weight men, drinking a similar amount of water immediately before a meal resulted in greater feelings of fullness and reduced food intake Therefore, having a glass of water before each meal can help prevent overeating and aid portion control.

Summary Drinking a glass of water up to 30 minutes before a meal can naturally result in reduced food intake and greater feelings of fullness. Eating quickly makes you less aware of getting full — and therefore increases your likelihood of overeating.

As your brain can take around 20 minutes to register that you are full after eating, slowing down can reduce your total intake. For example, one study in healthy women noted that eating slowly led to greater feelings of fullness and a decrease in food intake compared to eating quickly In addition, eating on the go or while distracted or watching TV boosts your likelihood of overeating Health experts recommend taking smaller bites and chewing every mouthful at least five or six times before swallowing Summary Sitting down to meals with no other distractions and eating slowly will regulate portion control and reduce your likelihood of overeating.

Jumbo-size packages or food served from large containers encourages overeating and less awareness of appropriate portion sizes. This is especially true for snacks. Evidence suggests that people tend to eat more out of large packages than small ones — regardless of food taste or quality 16 , In another study, participants consumed over fewer grams of snacks per week when given gram snack packs than when given snacks in standard-sized packages Rather than eating snacks from the original packaging, empty them into a small bowl to prevent eating more than you need.

The same applies to bulk portions of family meals.