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An update to the serving sizes listed on food labels will better reflect the amount of food mass actually eat , the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) says . But determining an appropriate serve sizing may be trickier than you guess .

The serving sizes listed on solid food are meant to reflect the amount that people typicallyconsume in one sitting — but that does n’t entail that they give the recommended amount that people should eat to be healthy .

ice-cream-size

For illustration , on 20 - ounce soda bottles , the current labels list a assist as 8 ounce , and therefore , a bottleful contains 2.5 servings . But most people down the whole feeding bottle in one sitting . Under the FDA ’s marriage proposal , this recording label would be switch so that the bottleful would take just one serving — and the phone number of calories and the amount of carbohydrates in a serving would be adjusted accordingly . [ 8 Top Meals from Nutritionists ]

Serving sizeswere established two decades ago , but they were based on studies done in the 1970s and 1980s , according to the FDA . Since then , the way the great unwashed eat has changed , the FDA state .

If the change are approved , consumers wo n’t see them for a while — the new sizes would go into effect next year , but the FDA would reserve manufacturing business up to two years to make thechanges to label .

a photo of burgers and fries next to vegetables

To bump out how much hoi polloi in reality should be eat on , Live Science contacted several dietitians . Here , we give you the low - down on what these experts said a reasonable serve size should be , for five common foods .

Ice cream

However , that ’s for ordinary , standard ice cream , she added . Premium crank creams can have as much as 600 calories per loving cup , whereas a received ice rink ointment would be around 300 kilogram calorie , she said . That ’s why it ’s important for mass to compensate attending to not only serving size , but alsohow many caloriesare in their intellectual nourishment , she said .

A woman standing on a smart scale

Andrea Giancoli , also a registered nutritionist , fit in , say that she recommends 1 cupful " because half a cup is so disappointing , " she told Live Science .

However , Heather Mangieri , a registered dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , enounce she thinks the current serving size of half a cup is appropriate . She said she bases her recommendations on the amount of carbohydrates a serving contains .

" I teach consumer that a service of sugar is about 15 grams , " she told Live Science in an e-mail . Ice cream take about 15 to 18 Gram of carbohydrates for one - half loving cup , she said .

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yield succus

Forfruit juice , " 6 ounces — that ’s the size of a usual juice glass " — is a fairish dish out size , Tallmadge enunciate .

Giancoli agreed , that 6 ounces was reasonable , but she also duck slightly – 8 ounces could be fine , but no more , she said .

A closeup of ranch dressing pouring onto a salad

Mangieri recommend a modest amount : Half a cup , or 4 ounces . That amount of succus contains about 14 grams of carbohydrates , she say .

yield

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) defines a service of fruit as cup , an amount adequate to a modest orchard apple tree or half of a tumid banana tree , Tallmadge enjoin . " But my first response would be it does n’t weigh , because run through more yield is effective , " she said .

a close-up of a large cheeseburger

Agreeing , Giancoli said that it ’s OK to consume bombastic servings of fruit . " Do n’t worry about it ! " she tell .

Mangieri said that hoi polloi should remember that even with healthy food for thought , consume a miscellany is of import . " Eating only half a banana tree for a snack wo n’t likely fill up anyone up , but that does n’t mean you should corrode two bananas . " She commend rust one-half of a banana tree along with some Greek yogurt , almonds and granola , for case .

Chicken breast

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presently , the USDA considers 3 ounce of Gallus gallus knocker to be one serving . And here , everyone agreed : 3 to 4 ounces is a sensible serving sizing . That ’s the appropriate amount of protein to eat at one meal , Mangieri said .

However , it ’s not realistic to cerebrate that this means eating a distinctive chicken breast from the grocery computer storage , Tallmadge said . You ca n’t purchase a chicken breast of that size of it today — they ’re unremarkably about 6 to 8 ounces , she said . Her recommendation is to cut it in half . A do that is about the size of a deck of cards is a good goal , she said .

French nestling

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For Gallic Roger Fry , Mangieri recommended eating no more than eight to 10 tike , to limit yourcarbohydratesto 15 grams .

Tallmadge and Giancoli agreed that a reasonable serving size is a very small portion . " Less than a small [ sizing ] at McDonald ’s , " Tallmadge say . Giancoli recommended going for a kid ’s sizing .

How ’s that stack up to a magnanimous order of fries ? It ’s less than a quarter of the size .

Red meat.

Tuna steaks

A plate of fries.

A banana tree.

Coffee cups

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