Suggested serving sizes

TastyReuben

TastyReuben

Nosh 'n' Splosh
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On US products, the nutrition label for a food product almost always contains a suggested serving size, like this:

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You can see there where a serving size is considered 1 ounce/28 grams/about 32 pieces, and they’ll show how many servings are in a container/package, and they’ll show subsequent nutritional information listed will be based on the serving size.

Similarly, (I think) the standard in the UK is to not show a suggested serving size, but to show a “per 100g” listing in one column, along with a “per the whole thing” listing in a second column. Not sure about anywhere else.

My question is…when you’re sitting down to have a snack of nuts…or cookies…or chips/crisps…or crackers…whatever it is, for those with US-style labels (if there is anyone other than the US using labels like this), do you pay attention to that serving size suggestion and count out 19 Pringles or 23 Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal biscuits?

Same question for the folks with the 100g-style labels…do you sort of think about the amount you’re pulling out to eat, or do you just dump what you want out and eat it, completely ignoring the label information?
 
I eat whatever until I'm done. The suggested serving size as printed by the FDA is based on what people typically eat. Since, as a nation, we're not eating healthy that whole serving size is based on improper dietary habits. It's a suggestion in an already flawed direction. 🤷‍♂️
 
TastyReuben said:
On US products, the nutrition label for a food product almost always contains a suggested serving size, like this:

View attachment 131615

You can see there where a serving size is considered 1 ounce/28 grams/about 32 pieces, and they’ll show how many servings are in a container/package, and they’ll show subsequent nutritional information listed will be based on the serving size.

Similarly, (I think) the standard in the UK is to not show a suggested serving size, but to show a “per 100g” listing in one column, along with a “per the whole thing” listing in a second column. Not sure about anywhere else.

My question is…when you’re sitting down to have a snack of nuts…or cookies…or chips/crisps…or crackers…whatever it is, for those with US-style labels (if there is anyone other than the US using labels like this), do you pay attention to that serving size suggestion and count out 19 Pringles or 23 Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal biscuits?

Same question for the folks with the 100g-style labels…do you sort of think about the amount you’re pulling out to eat, or do you just dump what you want out and eat it, completely ignoring the label information?
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I do ignore the serving size recommendation on the label, but I don't just pig out. If I'm eating potato chips or snacks, I have a small white bowl I fill and that's all I eat in one sitting. Popcorn is different--I'll eat the whole bag. With vegetables it's likely I'm eating 2-3 servings on my plate. I'm probably eating the right amount of meat at meal time unless it's a Jersey Mike's sub. That's probably 4 servings (I always get extra meat and extra cheese). The Club Supreme I get has roast beef and turkey with Swiss cheese and bacon.

Edited to add that I just read that 1 serving of meat is 3 ounces. I am probably eating 4-6 ounces of meat at dinner. The filet mignon package I bought a few days back was 12 ounces. When I was a teenager I could eat 16-24 oz porterhouse along with a salad and a baked potato loaded with sour cream and butter. I was very active and thin in those days.
 
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That's probably the most inane addition to a food label ever invented, but I'm sure there's some obscure, USDA reason for putting it there. To be honest, there's no such thing as a "serving size"; you eat what you want to eat, and that's it.
However; given all the statistics below ( which I never look at either), I'd surmise that the amounts of carbohydrates, fibre, salt, etc., are calculated on the basis of that "serving size".
 
It depends entirely on what it is and if I am dieting...
But yes, we do try to use it as a guide, though rice portions for example, we find we eat 1 portion between us.

But being in Australia and with everything being fully metric, right down to kJ instead of kCal, anything imported has to have a label stuck over it and we have noticed that the recommended portion sizes vary. So the Australian portion size will be different to the American portion size or the UK portion size for exactly the same product.

Even more confusing is the Heinz portion sizes. Their portion sizes for exactly the same product varies on the size of the can it is in!
 
I've glanced at them in the past, done the odd bit of mental arithmetic based on what they said to figure out what it means, but never taken heed.

Sometimes when I eat crisps/chips (which isn't that often these days) I'll stand there with the bag open, munching away and then I'll read the info and it will say '13 Cheetos is one serving' and I will laugh and think 'that's cute' and keep eating until I've had enough. I bought those for myself as a treat and no lab-coated, teetotal nutritionist is going to tell me how many I can or can't eat!
 
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karadekoolaid said:
It's definitely got to be a government requirement. Some kind of strange law so the calories, fat content, sugar, salt, etc. can be calculated using the same base.
This is from a jar of pectin - ¼ tsp. Makes me wonder who would use ¼ tsp of pectin!
View attachment 131671
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So how much goes in a batch of jelly and then how much is in 2 Tbsp of the finished jelly?
 
My Mother will look each and every label of any sort of food item and follow it the letter.
I buy her frozen single-serve meals, but if by chance it has that stupid 2 portions per container 💩, she follows it and simply puts the rest of the microwave tray in the `fridge with that leftover half, which in my opinion, is ridiculously small!
MA!!!!! Eat it all for crying out loud! Then you forget all about it and I have to throw it out ... "oh no dear, it's still good." :facepalm:
 
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