What is a Serving Size?

A serving size is the recommended amount of food or drink that should be consumed in one sitting or in one day. Everything from packaged food to fresh produce has a serving size associated with it.

Some of the lables are there to inform us what our bodies need to reach maximum performance and some are there to make us aware of exactly how much damage we are doing with what we are consuming.

Most people are unaware of what a healthy serving size looks like and some simply ignore it because it feels better not to know.

Either way, food consumption is a major contributor to many health problems and the rising obesity rate.

Our bodies and brains do incredible things every day!

Whether we are asking them to do simple things like breathing, and blinking or concentrating on an important task and running a marathon, our bodies and brains need fuel to function. That is the whole purpose of eating and drinking.

If food is avoided because a person wants to lose weight or gorged because a person loves the taste and sensation, the body and brain suffers.

The average adult daily diet should contain 2000 calories for men and 1800 calories for women. An easier way to make this goal a reality is to break it down by meal.

An example would be:

• Breakfast 600 calories
• Snack 200 calories
• Lunch 400 calories
• Snack 200 calories
• Dinner 600 calories

This is broad spectrum average and any special dietary needs or concerns should be addressed with a physician.

All packaged foods have nutrition labels printed on them with a suggested consumption amount.

The calories and other nutritional amounts listed on that label are specific to that serving size only. It is common for people to misunderstand the label and mistakenly assume that the calorie count is for the whole package.

There are many people who have food allergies or sensitivities as well as a desire to control their calorie intake so most restaurants will have their nutritional information available also. If you don’t see the information posted or in the menu, you may request it from your server or the manager. They will most likely be happy to accommodate you.

If they don’t have the nutritional information about the food they are serving or if they just won’t let you see it, leave their establishment. There are many restaurants everywhere that will gladly help you make good choices for yourself.

Be very aware of what you are reading and consuming. If it isn't clear or you aren't sure, don’t purchase it. It is the manufactures and business’ responsibility to make consumers aware of what their product contains.

For foods with no labels it is hard to tell what the right portion should be.

When filling your plate, it should be 50% veggies or fruit, 25% protein, and 25% whole grains

This guide might help.

The United States is currently the most overweight country in the world.

The percentage of obese people in the United States is at 30.6% with Mexico at 24.2% and the United Kingdom at 23% not too far behind.

There are many factors that contribute to the enormous weight issues that the people in these countries are dealing with. Knowing and understanding standard food portions sizes can be a substantial asset to controlling the obese epidemic