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Paying attention to your food portions can help reduce overeating. You can also try asking for smaller portions when you eat out, practicing mindful eating, and more to help manage your portions.

Obesity is a growing epidemic, as more people than ever are struggling to control their weight.

Increased portion sizes are thought to contribute to overeating and unwanted weight gain.

But research indicates that many other factors can influence how much you eat. People tend to eat almost all of what they serve themselves. Therefore, controlling portion sizes can help prevent overindulging.

Here are 9 tips to measure and control portion sizes — both at home and on the go.

1. Use smaller dinnerware

Research from 2024 suggests that the size, shape, and color of plates can influence your perceived portion size and the attractiveness of prepared food.

For example, using large plates can make food appear smaller — often leading to overeating.

In one study from 2023, people using a heavy serving bowl served themselves greater amounts of Chex Mix and baby carrots than those using a lighter serving bowl.

In another 2023 study of Iranian students ages 13–18, researchers found that plate size and color contributed to feelings of satiety. Specifically, food served on large, white plates led students to consume more and delayed feelings of fullness.

Interestingly, eating — and potentially overeating — is a social behavior that can be influenced by those around us.

Summary

Swapping your usual serving dish for a smaller alternative can reduce the helping of food and prevent overeating. Most people feel just as full having eaten from a smaller dish as from a large one.

2. Use your plate as a portion guide

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If measuring or weighing food isn’t appealing, try using your plate or bowl as a portion control guide. Research suggests that doing so can help promote balanced eating and weight loss among those with obesity or type 2 diabetes.

This can also help you determine the optimal macronutrient ratio for a well-balanced meal.

A rough guide for each meal is:

• Vegetables: half a plate
• Protein: quarter of a plate
• Carbs: quarter of a plate
• High fat foods: small portion in the center of the plate

Remember that this is a rough guide, as everyone has different dietary needs. For example, those who are more physically active often require more calories.

As vegetables and salad are naturally low in calories but high in fiber and other nutrients, filling up on these may help you avoid overeating calorie-dense foods.

If you want extra guidance, some manufacturers sell portion-control plates.

Summary

Using a plate as a guide for portion control can help you curb total food intake and may even promote weight loss. You can divide your plate into sections based on different food groups for a well-balanced meal.

3. Use your hands serving guides

Another way to gauge the appropriate portion size without any measuring tools is by simply using your hands.

A rough guide for each meal is:

• High protein foods: palm-sized serving for women and two palm-sized portions for men
• Vegetables or fruit: one cupped-hand portion
• High carb foods: fist-sized portion for women and two fist-sized portions for men
• High fat foods: one thumb-sized portion for women and two for men

Summary

Your hands can be a helpful guide for portion sizes. Different food groups correspond to various shapes and parts of your hands.

4. Ask for a half portion when eating out

Restaurants have been increasing their portion sizes over the years. Between 1986, 1991, and 2016, research found that portion sizes of entrées and desserts at fast food restaurants increased significantly.

You can always ask for a half portion or a children’s dish If you are eating out. This can save you some calories and help prevent overeating.

Alternatively, you could share a meal with someone or order a starter and side instead of a main dish.

Other tips include:

• ordering a side of salad or vegetables
• asking for sauces and dressings to be served on the side
• avoiding buffet-style and all-you-can-eat restaurants where it’s easy to overindulge

Summary

Restaurant portions tend to be much larger than the size of a regular portion. Prevent overeating by asking for a half portion, ordering a starter or kid’s meal instead of a main dish, and avoiding buffet-style restaurants.

5. Start all meals with a glass of water

Drinking a glass of water up to 30 minutes before a meal can naturally aid portion control. Filling up on water will make you feel less hungry. Being well-hydrated also helps you distinguish between hunger and thirst.

One study of 40 adults with type 2 diabetes observed that, compared to the control group, drinking 1 liter of water before each meal was associated with lower:

• body mass index (BMI)
• body weight
• waist circumference
• fasting blood sugar
• triglyceride levels
• low-density lipoprotein (“bad” LDL) cholesterol levels
• copeptin levels

In another review from 2019, authors found that starting a meal with water could help increase satiety.

Therefore, having a glass of water before each meal can help prevent overeating and aid portion control.

Summary

Drinking a glass of water up to 30 minutes before a meal can naturally reduce food intake and increase feelings of fullness.

6. Take it slowly

Eating quickly makes you less aware of getting full, increasing your likelihood of overeating.

As your brain can take around 20 minutes to register that you are full after eating, slowing down can reduce your total intake.

For example, a 2021 review suggests that eating quickly may be inversely associated with:

• body weight
• BMI
• waist circumference
• abdominal obesity
• higher risk of hypertriglyceridemia (high triglyceride levels)
• higher prevalence of low HDL
• higher fasting plasma glucose
• higher blood pressure

In addition, eating while watching TV is associated with a greater consumption of food and higher BMI, according to a study from 2022. Eating more food, in turn, may then lead to weight gain and obesity.

Therefore, focusing on your meal and refusing to rush increases the chances you’ll enjoy it and control your portion sizes.

Taking more chews per bite with every mouthful of food is also linked to less energy intake.

Summary

Sitting down to meals with no other distractions and eating slowly will regulate portion control and reduce your likelihood of overeating.

7. Don’t eat straight from the container

Jumbo-size packages or food served from large containers encourage overeating and a lack of awareness of appropriate portion sizes. This is especially true for snacks.

Research from 2022 suggests that people tend to eat more out of large packages than small ones — regardless of food taste or quality. This study found that large packaging increased food intake by nearly 12 percent compared to the control group.

Rather than eating snacks from the original packaging, empty them into a small bowl to prevent eating more than you need.

You could also opt for smaller, snack-size packages of food. For example, in a review from 2022, researchers found that using smaller packages for snacks can help reduce consumption.

The same applies to bulk portions of family meals. Rather than serving food directly from the stove, re-portion it onto plates before serving. Doing so will help prevent overfilling your plate and discourage returning for seconds.

Summary

Eating food from larger packages or containers encourages increased intake. Try re-portioning snacks into individual portions and serving family meals from plates to prevent overeating.

8. Be aware of suitable serving size

Research indicates that we can’t always rely on our own judgment of appropriate portion size, which is called the portion size effect. This is because many factors affect portion control.

However, it may help to invest in a scale or measuring cup to weigh food and correctly assess your intake to decrease daily energy intake.

Reading food labels also increases awareness of proper portions. Knowing the recommended serving sizes for commonly eaten foods can help you moderate your intake.

Here are some examples:

• Cooked pasta or rice: 1/2 cup (75 and 100 grams, respectively)
• Vegetables and salad: 1–2 cups (150–300 grams)
• Breakfast cereal: 1 cup (40 grams)
• Cooked beans: 1/2 cup (90 grams)
• Nut butter: 2 tablespoons (16 grams)
• Cooked meats: 3 ounces (85 grams)

You don’t always have to measure your meals. In some cases, this may lead to disordered eating or types of eating disorders.

However, doing so may be helpful for a short period to develop awareness of what an appropriate portion size looks like. After a while, you may not need to measure everything.

Summary

Using measuring equipment can help increase awareness of portion sizes and correctly assess how much food is normally eaten.

9. Use a food diary

Research suggests that mindful eating can help with weight loss, even if weight loss is not the main goal of being mindful while you eat. It’s more about being present as you consume food.

Writing down all food and drink intake can increase awareness of the type and amount of food you’re consuming.

In weight-loss studies, those who kept a food diary tended to lose more weight overall.

This likely occurred because they became more aware of what they ate — including their unhealthy choices — and adjusted their diet accordingly.

Summary

Jotting down your total calorie intake can increase awareness of what you consume. This can motivate you to make healthier choices and reduce your chances of overeating.

The takeaway

Unwanted weight gain may start with large portion sizes.

However, there are many practical steps you can take to control portions. These simple changes have proven successful in reducing portions without compromising on taste or feelings of fullness.

For example, measuring your food, using smaller dishes, drinking water prior to meals, and eating slowly can all reduce your risk of overeating.

At the end of the day, portion control is a quick fix that improves your quality of life and may prevent binging.