Final answer:
People often consume portions larger than recommended serving sizes on nutrition facts labels. Tools like MyPlate and visual portion size comparisons can help maintain healthy portion control. Reviewing nutrition facts can help select healthier options and prevent overeating.
Step-by-step explanation:
Many people consume food portions that are larger than the listed serving sizes on nutrition facts labels. It's imperative to practice portion control for maintaining a healthy diet. The serving size on a label is a guide indicating how much of that food equates to a single serving and therefore contains the calories and nutrients specified on the label. Using nutrition labels and visual aids, such as a deck of cards or using your hand as a guideline, can help to keep portions in check.
Unfortunately, as portion sizes have expanded in restaurants and food establishments, staying within these serving sizes becomes more difficult. This expansion, along with an increase in sedentary lifestyles, contributes to excessive calorie intake. To help combat this, it is advisable to use tools like MyPlate, which helps in visualizing and achieving a balanced diet, and choosing smaller plates to make the same amount of food appear larger and more satisfying.
Being mindful of the nutritional content through a quick review of the nutrition facts labels can aid in selecting options that are high in dietary fiber, protein, and other beneficial nutrients, while being low in saturated fats, added sugars (SOFAS), sodium, and calories. Moreover, using comparison techniques can also prove to be a useful strategy to avoid overeating. For instance, understanding that a serving size might visually compare to a baseball or your fist can make it easier to estimate how much food is appropriate to eat in one sitting.