Most people know they should mostly eat healthy foods to maintain a heathy weight and avoid serious health problems. But there may be a big part of eating healthy that you’re not paying close enough attention to — portion sizes.

What you eat matters. But how much you eat of different foods is important, too. Try keeping a close eye on how much food you put on your plate. Not only will it help you avoid overeating, but you may also find that you can eat more than you thought. When you eat the right amounts of different food types, you can feel full and enjoy a variety of foods without blowing your goal to eat healthy.

Portion Patrol: How Much Is a "Serving"?

Not all foods are equal, so the amount you eat of different types of foods makes a big difference. How much is the right amount? It depends on the food.

There are some foods you can eat in moderate portions. Then there are less healthy foods that it’s best to skip or only have occasionally in small amounts.

The first step in choosing the right portions is learning what is considered a serving size for different foods.

Recommended sizes may be smaller than you think. A serving of:

• Baked potato is the size of a computer mouse.
• Pasta is the size of a baseball.
• Waffles is just one, the size of a DVD.
• Cheese cubes is four pieces, each the size of dice.
• Peanut butter is the size of a golf ball.
• Meat is the size of a deck of playing cards.

It’s also important to understand the unhealthy food choices you’re making. Fast food, sugary desserts and sweet drinks might be some of them. There are other foods that aren’t unhealthy but can easily add up to too many calories if you aren’t careful.

Just two of the “problem” foods — solid fats and added sugars — can make up hundreds of your daily calories. Try replacing your problem foods with healthier choices. Instead of butter and other solid fats, try olive, canola, and other oils that are better for your waistline.

Check food labels and restaurant menus for hidden calories. Learn to “eyeball” your portion sizes to avoid overeating.

Fill ‘er Up

You can eat bigger portions of filling, nutritious foods. Raw, steamed, grilled or baked vegetables are good examples. Enjoy generous servings of tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, celery, cauliflower, bell peppers, zucchinis, radishes and mushrooms. Try adding spices for flavor instead of fat or salt.

Fruit is full of vitamins. You can enjoy more of lower-sugar fruits like grapefruit, kiwi, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. But trim your portions of higher-sugar fruits like apples, mangos, pineapple, oranges, cantaloupe and bananas. And eat the whole fruit, not just the juice. The sugar and carbohydrates in juices and higher-sugar fruits can add up to a lot of extra calories if you aren’t careful.

Eat These Things in Moderation

Eat foods that are higher in carbohydrates in smaller portions, and less often. Those include potatoes, grains, rice, white and wheat flour-based pasta, breads, and tortilla chips.

Legumes are filling, healthy and full of protein, but they’re also high in carbs. They include black beans, fava beans, lima beans, lentils and peas.

Eat moderate amounts of fat-free and low-fat milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and cream cheese. Eat fish and lean meats like white meat chicken and turkey, pork tenderloin, and beef tenderloin in moderation. Prepare it broiled, grilled, baked or pan sautéed, not fried.

Tips and Tricks

Try some portion-control tricks. They can help you avoid some common portion-size pitfalls:

• Eat small portions throughout the day.
• Split an entrée when eating out. Or box up half your meal to take home.
• At home, make a plate to take to the table. Don’t put serving dishes on the table.
• Eat on a smaller plate. You may feel like there’s more food there.
• Put your fork or spoon down between each bite. Slow down and allow yourself to enjoy the flavors of the food.
• Spoil your dinner — with vegetables or fruit. A healthy snack like fresh produce can help you avoid overeating later.
• When you shop, make a list. Don’t impulse buy.
• Put treats in a pantry or cupboard to keep them out of sight.
• Better yet, don’t bring less healthy food choices into your house. If you don’t have them, you can’t eat them.
• Check the serving size on food labels. Divide a big package into serving-size portions as soon as you bring it home.
• Make sure children don’t eat adult-size portions as snacks or meals.
• Use an online calorie and nutrition tracker. There are apps and sites that you can use that sync with your phone to help you stay on target.

Pay attention to what you eat — and how much. Make slow changes. Before long, your healthier eating will become a habit. Those new habits can be the path to better health.

Sources: How Overweight and Obesity Impacts Your Health,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025; How to Heave Healthier Meals and Snacks,  CDC, 2024; Portion Size and Weight Loss,  WebMD, 2024; Eat healthy with MyPlate, ChoseMyPlate.gov