Portions and Servings, What's the difference?

Do the words portion and serving mean the same thing to you? I hear them being used interchangeably, but the difference between the two could be the reason you can't seem to drop those unwanted pounds. According to the Department of Heath and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, "portions are the amount of foods you choose to eat" whereas the serving sizes are, "measures used to describe the amount of foods recommended from each food group."

Here's a quick visual reference. 1 Serving Equals...

• Serving of meat, fish or poultry = deck of cards or the palm of your hand



• 1/2 cup pasta or grain = one cupped palm



• Serving of baked potato = computer mouse



• 1 protein pancake = a dvd



• 1 slice of bread = a dvd



• 1 cup of leafy greens = two hands cupped together



• 1/2 cup cut up veggies = one cupped palm



• 1 piece of fruit = tennis ball



• 1/2 cup of fruit, raw, cooked, frozen or canned = one cupped palm



• 1 tablespoon of dressing = 1/2 your thumb



• 1 ounce of cheese = one domino



• 1/2 cup cottage cheese = one cupped palm



• 1 cup yogurt = two hands cupped together



• 1 tablespoon peanut butter = 1/2 a ping pong ball



• 1/4 cup of dried fruit or nuts = Golf ball or large egg



• 1 teaspoon oil = the tip of your finger or one die



• 1 teaspoon butter = the tip of your finger or one die

I fear for our children. Quick and easy snacks are way too convenient and unhealthy. Have you noticed that 1 bag of something can be as many as 4 servings? 1 bag feels like it should equal 1 serving, but it doesn't. This is alarming with the majority of kids snacks being packaged and processed. They are getting many times the amount they should. Fruit, veggies, nuts, yogurt, cheese, and natural nut butter on whole grain bread have become my staple snacks for my daughter.

Did this visual guide surprise you? Don't you think using it will help you familiarize yourself with what a serving is and help cut down portions?