How much are you actually eating? It’s easy as taking a look at three things.
1. Amount
The amount of food you eat is one of the most important parts of building a healthy eating style. Children and adults have different calorie and nutrition needs. How much you eat and drink can affect your weight and risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
2. Calories
Paying attention to calories is an important part of managing your weight. The amount of calories you need are different if you want to gain, lose or maintain your weight. Check out the many MyPlate Tools that can help you track what you eat and drink.
Also get in the habit of reading Nutrition Facts labels. These labels include information about calories and other nutritional content, helping you make smart choices.
3. Portion Size
Choosing smaller portions can help you stay within your calorie needs. Be aware of the amount of what you eat and drink during meals and snacks. Some commonly eaten foods can add more calories than you realize. For example, when you pour cereal into a bowl, you might be making yourself 3-4 servings—that means 3-4 times more calories than in a single serving!
