The size of a portion has a direct influence on the amount of calories it contains . Once something is on your plate, you are tempted to eat it. The distribution of the individual components within a meal also determines the calorie content and is important for a healthy and balanced diet. The right portion size depends on the person’s age, gender, height and weight, number of meals and also their activity level. Find out more about portion sizes and how you can put together your meals optimally at Oviva.
What are portion sizes and why are they important?
A portion is the amount of food that ends up on the plate and is set for consumption during a meal. When eating, portion size is crucial because it determines the calorie content of a meal. Portion sizes are a practical unit of measurement for determining the right amount of nutrients and calories that make sense for an individual meal.
Meal size and frequency are important factors for satiety. Portion sizes, therefore, strongly influence eating behavior. If the plate is empty, it means the “end of food intake.” As long as there is something left on the plate, this tempts us to keep eating—even if we are already full!
Especially if it simply tastes good. Due to evolution, it is difficult for us to stop cravings for high-calorie food. In addition, we were often taught as children that we have to eat everything on our plates. Eating more than we are hungry leads to an unpleasant feeling of fullness in the short term and to unwanted weight gain in the long term. It is therefore a good idea to measure the portion size before preparing the food.
Factors influencing portion sizes
The appropriate portion size depends on various factors:
- Your own weight. The heavier a person, the higher their energy requirements.
- Our appetite may change as we age, and our energy needs may decrease slightly.
- Women’s energy needs are lower than those of men
- The energy requirements of tall people are higher than those of small
- If you move around a lot at work or do a lot of sports, you burn more calories and have a higher energy requirement than people who mainly do sedentary activities.
The number of meals. If you eat three meals a day, these will be slightly larger. If you eat five meals a day, these meals will be correspondingly smaller.
Estimate portion sizes with your hands
Portion sizes are differentiated according to food groups. How much is a portion? Here are some foods where your hand can be used as a measure:
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- Large pieces of fruit such as apple or pear
- Large vegetables such as kohlrabi
- Two hands held to the bowl for small pieces of fruit and berries such as cherries or strawberries as well as for small pieces of vegetables and salad
- A handful for side dishes such as potatoes, rice, or wholemeal pasta and also legumes
- Meat, fish, and tofu portions are about the size of the palm of your hand
- The thumb tip indicates the right amount of fats and oils
- Sweets and snacks fit in one hand