Differences in Portion Size

Differences in Portion Size. Portion size is the amount of a single food item served
in a single eating occasion, such as a meal or a snack.
Many people confuse portion size with serving size,
which is a standardized unit of measuring foods—for
example, a cup or ounce—used in dietary guidance,
such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Portion
size is the amount offered to a person in a restaurant,
the amount offered in the packaging of prepared foods,
or the amount a person chooses to put on his or her
plate. For example, bagels or muffins are often sold in
sizes that constitute at least 2 servings, but consumers
often eat the whole thing, thinking that they have eaten
1 serving. They do not realize that they have selected a
large portion size that was more than 1 serving. Differences in Portion Size