Cutting your portion sizes

The sizes of your portions affect how many calories you're getting. Twice the amount of food can sometimes mean twice the number of calories. But some foods with fewer calories, such as many fruits and vegetables, can be eaten in larger portions.

It's common to guess that you eat less than you actually do, such as if you're dining out. Paying attention to your portions is a good way to control calories.

Portion sizes

A typical portion ...	Calories*	A standard serving ...	Calories*
*Actual calories may vary by brand.
Orange juice, 8 ounces	112	Orange juice, 4 ounces	56
Buttermilk pancake, 6-inch diameter (77 grams)	175	Buttermilk pancake, 4-inch diameter (41 grams)	86
Whole-grain noodles, cooked, 1 1/2 cups	355	Whole-grain noodles, cooked, 1 cup	237

Try these tips to control portion sizes and cut calories:

• Start small. At the start of a meal, take a little less than what you think you'll eat. If you're still hungry, eat more vegetables or fruit.
• Eat from plates, not packages. Eating right from a container gives you no sense of how much you're eating. Seeing food on a plate or in a bowl keeps you aware of how much you're eating. Think about using a smaller plate or bowl.
• Check food labels. Be sure to check the Nutrition Facts panel for the serving size and number of calories per serving. You may find that the small bag of chips you eat with lunch every day, for example, is two servings, not one. This means it's twice the calories you thought.
• Use a calorie counter. Check out reputable resources that offer tools to count calories, such as websites or smartphone applications.