Portion control (dieting)

Food guide pyramids are used as a visual aid to help people eat a varied diet and control portions.

The failure to control portions is often caused by emotional factors such as a depressed mood or boredom. To avoid overeating triggered by emotions, planning meals ahead and using smaller dishes may be helpful.

Portion sizes can be estimated by using objects as a point of reference. One way of determining portion size is to compare hand size. For example a healthy serving of protein should not be larger than a palm size piece of meat. Carbohydrate servings such as pasta can be measured by fistfuls. A healthy serving of pasta should be one fistful.

See also

References

• Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
• "Does Package Size Accelerate Consumption Volume?" (2005) Journal of Marketing, Brian Wansink, 60:3 (January), 1-14.

External links

• Do You Know How Food Portions Have Changed in 20 Years?