How big is a food portion? A pilot study in Australian families.
OBJECTIVE
It is not known whether individuals can accurately estimate the portion size of foods usually consumed relative to standard serving sizes in national food selection guides. The aim of the present cross-sectional pilot study was to quantify what adults and children deem a typical portion for a variety of foods and compare these with the serving sizes specified in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE).


METHODS
Adults and children were independently asked to serve out their typical portion of 10 common foods (rice, pasta, breakfast cereal, chocolate, confectionary, ice cream, meat, vegetables, soft drink and milk). They were also asked to serve what they perceived a small, medium and large portion of each food to be. Each portion was weighed and recorded by an assessor and compared with the standard AGHE serving sizes.


RESULTS
Twenty-one individuals (nine mothers, one father, 11 children) participated in the study. There was a large degree of variability in portion sizes measured out by both parents and children, with means exceeding the standard AGHE serving size for all items, except for soft drink and milk, where mean portion sizes were less than the AGHE serving size. The greatest mean overestimations were for pasta (155%; mean 116 g; range 94-139 g) and chocolate (151%; mean 38 g; range 25-50 g), each of which represented approximately 1.5 standard AGHE servings.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of the present study indicate that there is variability between parents' and children's estimation of typical portion sizes compared with national recommendations. SO WHAT? Dietary interventions to improve individuals' dietary patterns should target education regarding portion size.
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Clare E
CE
Collins
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Tamara
T
Bucher
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Aimee
A
Taylor
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Kristine
K
Pezdirc
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Hannah
H
Lucas
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Jane
J
Watson
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Megan
M
Rollo
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Kerith
K
Duncanson
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Melinda J
MJ
Hutchesson
Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2300, Australia.
Tracy
T
Burrows
D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D001628:Beverages; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D064787:Portion Size