Portion sizes are not always easy to calculate. We show how many grams you can count on per person – and which method is also helpful.
We like to feast for our lives on holidays and parties! A delicious Christmas menu or buffet recipes for the party or simply our favorite pasta for lunch are very tempting and delicious. The awakening comes afterwards: once again overcooked. With the remnants, we could probably organize three more celebrations. On the other hand, an herb has grown: choose the right portion size before cooking! Yup! A lot of choice and large amounts tempt us to eat more than we actually want (and sometimes more than good for us …). And so you calculate suitable portion sizes for yourself or for guests.
Serving sizes per person – table
First of all: portion sizes are not easy to generalize because they can hardly take into account individual calorie needs and consumption (e.g. due to their stature and physical activity). The following information is therefore intended as a guide. But if you have guests and know that a buddy always takes a second serving or a relative prefers to eat more vegetables than fish, you adjust the amount of food accordingly.
The DGE diet recommends these portion sizes based on a calorie requirement of 1,800 for women and 2,300 kcal for men for the following meals:
Having lunch
Food | Women | Men |
Potatoes | 200 grams | 250 grams |
or: brown rice (uncooked) | 50 grams | 60 grams |
or: whole grain pasta (uncooked) | 80 grams | 100 gram |
vegetables | 200 grams | 200 grams |
flesh | 100 gram | 150 grams |
or: fish | 150 grams | 150 grams |
The information is a meal, for example 200 grams of potatoes with 200 grams of vegetables and 100 grams of meat or 50 grams of rice with 200 grams of vegetables and 150 grams of fish. If you cook for yourself or for guests, you can use these values as a guide – everyone will be satisfied.
Tip: If the vegetables are not a side dish, but the main course, they can also be 400 grams!
dinner
Food | women and men |
loaf | 100 gram |
Cheese / sausage | 30 grams |
Vegetables (salad / raw food) | 200 grams |
Portion sizes by hand
A handful of nuts – many have probably heard this statement before. However, the hand can also be used for other foods, the advantage here: the needs of the individual are taken into account. Children undoubtedly have smaller hands and need smaller portions! The Federal Center for Nutrition (BzfE) recommends the following sizes:
- Two hands are a portion of small pieces of vegetables / fruit (e.g. cherries) and salad
- A handful for large fruits / vegetables (e.g. a pear)
- A complete hand corresponds to a portion of bread
- Two hands with potatoes, pasta or muesli are one portion
- A serving of fish or meat is the size of a palm
- Naschkram fits in a hand plate
You should still pay attention to this
- Whole grain products contain more fiber and are more filling.
- Please note with a multi-course meal: The feeling of fullness sets in with longer meal breaks! The dessert can then be more minimalistic …
- Anything left over – no problem! Cooking with leftovers becomes a feast with these 10 professional tips. Alternatively, many dishes are also suitable for freezing and enjoying later!
Nice to know: Did you know that the plate color affects how much we eat? The University of Oxford has experimentally observed that red plates inhibit consumption!
The color psychologist Harald Braem, on the other hand, swears by blue plates that they eat slower and are therefore satiated more quickly. "You can even put less food on blue plates than on a different color, and yet you have the feeling of being full," he is quoted in an article in the FAZ.
Would you like to exchange ideas about recipes with others? You can find experiences and inspiration in the BRIGITTE community.