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  1. Home /
  2. Nutrition /
  3. Servings and Portions

Servings and Portions

Confused about portions, servings and the difference between them?

A serving size is the amount of food we're recommended to eat. Nutrition labels tells us how many calories and nutrients are in each serving. It's important to look for serving sizes on the Nutrition Facts Label to understand how much fat, sugar, calories and carbohydrates are in each serving we eat or drink. A portion size, on the other hand, is the amount of food you choose to eat. It can be a big or small portion - it's your choice.

There may be a different serving size and portion size for the same food. For example, a serving size for cookies may be 1 cookie. Your portion size (how many cookies you actually eat) may be 3 cookies. In this case, your portion size is equal to three serving sizes.
Sometimes it's easy to take bigger portions than you need. Make sure you're taking the right portions by checking out ChooseMyPlate.gov

This information is provided by the Department of Public Health.
© 2017 Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
Mass.Gov® is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Nutrition

  • Healthy Shopping
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Choices
  • Servings and Portions
  • Downsize Your Portions
  • Why Calories Count
  • Money Saving Tips
  • Rethink Your Drink
  • Healthy Approach to Vending Machines
  • Healthy Meetings

Healthy Plymouth is supported by Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Plymouth, the Plymouth School System and the Town of Plymouth.

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