Portions vs. Servings

With large portions offered everywhere, it is difficult to know exactly how much you should be eating. "Super-size" options, all-you-can-eat buffets and large restaurant portions all lead us to overeat, many times without realizing it. Much research suggest tht that the more food one is served, the one he or she consumes. One portion of pasta at a restaurant could easily be three or four servings of pasta as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid.

So what is the difference between portions and servings? A portion is the amount of a food that you are eating at one time, and is not necessarily the same as a serving. A serving is the recommended amount of a food as defined by the Food Guide Pyramid. For more information on the number of servings of the various foods one should eat each day, visit our Basic Nutrition section.

To assist people in understanding common serving sizes, they are often compared to everyday items such as your fist or a baseball. Click here for some hints on common serving sizes. For a more detailed explanation of the difference between portions and servings, read Food Portions and Servings: How Do They Differ? from the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.