If you are looking to improve your diet you need to keep track of what you eat, so it’s important to understand portion sizes. It can be very easy to misjudge the size of food and you may end up eating far more calories than you realise!
It can be hard to know exactly what ‘a portion’ is. The guide below from the British Heart Foundation is a simple and easy way to know if you are portioning your foods correctly to meet your daily guidelines of calorie and nutrient intake.
Recommended daily portions
(based on 1500 kcal for women, 1800 kcal for men)
Fruit and vegetables
Women: 5+ portions
Men: 5+ portions
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, and other starchy carbohydrates
Women: 7 portions
Men: 8 portions
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
Women: 2 portions
Men: 3 portions
Dairy and alternatives
Women: 3 portions
Men: 3 portions
Oil and spreads
Women: 1 portion
Men: 2 portions
Source: British Heart Foundation