Let's talk

Portion Control
Jess Wittenauer- Dietetic Intern
Purpose/ Objectives

• The purpose of this presentation is to educate the staff at

Aberdeen Heights about the importance of portion control
and how to implement correct portion techniques. 
• Objectives:
Understand the importance of portion control in food
service operation
Identify appropriate serving utensils and techniques
used for portion control
Learn how to read meal spreadsheets for proper
serving
Why do we need portion
control?
• Controls Food Costs
• Serving large portions leads to higher overall food
costs
• Poor Estimation of Calories
• Each resident has a specific diet and nutrient
requirements. Overserving/underserving leads to
unintended weight gain/loss.
• Poor glucose control for diabetic residents
• Poor fluid control- fluid restrictions
• Improper sodium, potassium, phosphorus intake-
CKD, renal diets
 Running out of food or ingredient

Increasing costs and

Why do we Limits food waste decreasing profit

need portion
control? Cont. Poor forecasting

Consistency in taste, quality and quantity

lead to higher satisfaction rates
Scoops, Spoodles, Ladles
Scoop Volume
• Scoops or 'dishers' are stamped with a standard
number to indicate the volume of food they
hold.  
• Number is imprinted near the handle or the
'vein' that moves inside the scoop
• (#) represents the number of scoops it takes to
fill a quart
• Ex: It takes 8, #8 scoops to fill a quart (32 oz)
• To find out how many ounces the scoop is, divide
32 by the number scoop
• Ex: 32/8=4 oz or ½ cup. #8 scoop is 4 oz
Scoops cont.

• When to use a scoop?

• Baked beans, casseroles, mashed
potatoes, tuna salads
• Pre-portioning out muffins, cookies,
ground meats
• Pureed main entrees/desserts
 Spoodles

• Number is located on the handle or lists # of

oz.
• Solid or perforated/slotted to allow for liquid
drainage

• When to use spoodles?

• Gravies, sauces, hot cereals, vegetables,
fortified foods, noodles
Ladles/portioning
tools
• Used to serve stews, soups, chilis,
thick sauces
• Number (#) printed on handle
Improving your Technique 

Good Technique Poor Technique

Always use level portions when plating food. Rounded portions can lead to double portion
sizes
Common Food Serving Sizes
Based off the Carbohydrate Exchange System

• Grains/ Starches Knowing these serving

sizes of common foods
• Rice (cooked)- 1/3 cup  can help you practice
• Pasta or Noodles (cooked)- ½ cup  portion control
• Bread- 1 slice
• Fruits
• ½ cup fresh or fruit juice
• ¼ cup dried fruit
• Vegetables
• ½ cup cooked or ½ cup vegetables
• 1/3 cup beans, lentils
 What is the Correct Portion?

1 serving Breakfast Meat: Ground Ham- #12 scoop (2.6

ANSWER: #12 scoop= 2.6 fl oz ( 32/12=2.6) Green
fl oz) or Ground Sausage -#16 scoop (2 oz)
#16 scoop= 2 oz (32/16=2) Blue
What color/ounces for Mech diet?
 Puree Diet portion
What's the Correct Portion? size

Regular Diet  Portion

Sizes 

ANSWER:  6 oz Pureed Beef Tips= #6 scoop (5.3 fl oz)

6 oz Beef Tips w/ Mushrooms and Sherry, 5 oz baked White, #8 scoop Mashed sweet potatoes= 4 oz Gray, #12
sweet potato,  #8 scoop of Peas and Pearl Onions. scoop Peas and pearl onions= 2.6 fl oz Green
What scoop for Puree diet?
Be a part of the Solution
• Educate other coworkers about
correct portion sizes
• If you are unsure about a scoop
number or amount, ask dietary
manager
• If you notice a wrong scoop is being
used, correct the problem ASAP
• Communicate with other dietary staff
members
In Summary
 Portion control is an important way to control costs, limit
food waste, provide accurate nutrition, and provide
consistency in food production
 Always provide level portions of entrees, desserts, and
sides to residents
 Specific scoops, spoodles, and ladles for each food item are
listed in the menu spreadsheet