Even those trying to lose weight often enjoy a portion of sweets or crisps as a treat on a cheat day.
But many people often misread the labels on food and drink products, and consume the whole bottle or packet, or most of it, because they’re not clear what the recommended serving size really looks like.
According to a new study by PoundToy, portions sizes are much smaller than many think, meaning a lot of people overeat.
For instance, a standard 500ml bottle of Coke that people often buy to drink with a sandwich at lunchtime contains two servings, although many would easily polish off the whole thing.
And if you like to munch your way through the best part of a tub of Pringles, the bad news is that the recommended serving is just 13 crisps.
According to a new study by PoundToy , portions sizes are much smaller than many think, meaning a lot of people overeat. The packaging on a 200g bar of chocolate often says it is ‘great for sharing’ but a portion of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is just 47.5g or five chunks, meaning there’s eight portions in a big bar- while many will just share it with one other person
CHOCOLATE
The packaging on a 200g bar of chocolate often says it is ‘great for sharing’, but a portion of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is just 47.5g for five chunks, meaning there’s eight portions in a big bar- while many will just share it with one other person.
Cadbury’s Giant Buttons are a delicious treat, but a close inspection at the packet shows one portion is just 10 buttons, or a fifth of the pack.
If Smarties are your go-to choice, then count out just 16 of them to stick to the recommended portion.
CRISPS
Crisps are another treat that are ideal for sharing, but also very easy to overindulge in once you’ve opened the bag.
Many grab bags, often part as a supermarket meal deal, are up to two portions.
The back of a 55g packet of Doritos says 30g constitutes one serving, meaning the back contains 1.83 portions.
In a normal-sized tube of Pringles, you should be sticking to 13 individual crisps, while in a sharing bag of Doritos, the recommended serving size of 16 crisps.
And for kid’s favourites such as Quavers, you should only be portioning out about a quarter of a full 116g bag.
Walkers don’t list the number of crisps per portion, but instead list by weight. A bag is 175g, and contains six portions, while a 50g grab bag is 1.66 portions.
Meanwhile, Monster Munch is sold in 68g bags, but a portion should be just 30g.
In a normal-sized tube of Pringles, you should be sticking to 13 individual crisps, while in a sharing bag of Doritos, the recommended serving size of 16 crisps
DRINKS
Full fat fizzy drinks are often full of calories and sugar, but you’d be mistaken for assuming that the individual 500ml bottles that you buy in the shops constitute serving.
The recommended serving size is just 250ml, which is actually even less than a small can.
And it’s not just fizzy drinks, a 360ml bottle of Naked smoothie, a meal deal go-to for many trying to stay healthy contains 2.2 portions.
Full fat fizzy drinks are often full of calories and sugar, but you’d be mistaken for assuming that the individual 500ml bottles that you buy in the shops constitute serving
SWEETS
Some of our favourite sweets can be incredibly moreish, which is quite worrying when you realise just how few it’s recommended that we eat in one go.
In a sharing bag of Maynard’s Wine Gums, it’s only recommended that we eat only four individual sweets as one serving, which contains 78 calories.
Meanwhile, a portion of Haribo Tangfastics is only five sweets, significantly less than most people will munch down.
Some of our favourite sweets can be incredibly moreish, which is quite worrying when you realise just how few it’s recommended that we eat in one go. The recommended serving of wine gums is just 25g
CEREAL
Many will be surprised at just how much unhealthy stuff is in a box of cereal, which is seen as a healthy breakfast by many.
The recommended portion size for cereal is usually 30-40g – meaning each box contains around 20 portions.
A standard pack of Kellogg’s Frosties – 750g – has enough portions to last 25 meals, while a serving of Cheerios is just 30g.
A standard pack of Kellogg’s Frosties – 750g – has enough portions to last 25 meals, while a serving of Cheerios is just 30g
