IFIC Spotlight Survey: Understanding Portion & Serving Sizes
January 26, 2022
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You’ve likely witnessed someone turning over a packaged food to look at the serving size on the Nutrition Facts label with surprise. They’ve probably also said something along the lines of, “is this really how much I’m supposed to eat?” – or maybe you’ve experienced this yourself. But do Americans really know what the purpose of the serving size on the Nutrition Facts Label is, and how it differs from the concept of portion size? How exactly do Americans use serving and portion size, and what are their reasons for wanting to manage how much food they eat? This survey aimed to explore Americans’ understanding of both serving and portion size.
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned an online research survey with consumers based in the US to measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about serving and portion size. One thousand adults aged 18+ years completed the survey from November 4-9, 2021, and responses were weighted to ensure proportional results.
Key findings include:
- Nine in 10 Americans say they have at least some understanding of serving size and portion size.
- The two terms are often conflated: while nearly half (48%) can correctly define serving size, the same percentage incorrectly associates the definition for portion size with that of serving size.
- Regardless of food or beverage category, about half say they try to eat close to the serving size listed on packaging.
- The top-ranked reasons for paying attention to portion sizes are to help control weight (36% ranked in top 2) and to help avoid eating too much of certain foods (30%).