Learn Portion Sizes

Learn Portion Sizes

By:Alex M. McDonald, MD

We have all probably heard the phrase, “portion distortion.” The average person has a very poor concept of what a single portion is and how big it looks on his plate. To monitor what and how much athletes put into their bodies, they must first start with an understanding of what a single serving of any foodstuff looks like on a plate. Many people read the nutritional information on the back of packaging but forget to examine how many servings are in the package. Additionally, many people are shocked to learn that a single serving of meat (about 3–5 oz) is about the size of a deck of cards. To develop an awareness of our nutritional intake, we must first learn to estimate how much food and how many servings we are actually consuming.