Serving Size vs. Portion Size: What's the Difference?

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Meat & Beans Group

3 ounces of meat, fish or poultry

Deck of cards (3 servings)

2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Ping-pong ball (2 servings)

1/2 cup cooked beans

Baseball (2 servings)

Try these ideas to help control portions at home:

When your child is hungry and looking for a snack take the amount of food that is equal to one serving (refer to the Nutrition Facts label) and have your child eat it off a plate instead of eating it out of the box or bag.

Don't be tempted to finish off leftover dinner the next day. Freeze leftovers as single servings so that you can pull it out of the freezer when you need a quick, healthy meal for your family.

Be prepared and have emergency snacks on hand if your family is running late and needs a quick snack. Make your own snack bags for traveling by reading the Nutrition Facts label and placing a single serving size into plastic bags.

Have your child measure out a single serving of food before sitting in front of the television or doing other activities that can distract him/her from realizing how much food is being consumed. This way your child will know exactly how much he or she is eating!