The Low-down on Serving Sizes

Why So Small And Who Decides Them?

If you’ve ever looked at the back of a food packet and rolled your eyes at the ridiculously small recommended serving size then you are not alone. A “serving” of cereal that barely fills half a bowl, a “recommended” portion of ice cream that's about two spoonfuls — it can all feel frustrating, misleading, and honestly a bit absurd. But have you ever stopped to wonder who actually decides these portion sizes? And why do they seem so completely detached from how people actually eat?

Let’s break it down…

Who Sets Portion Sizes?

In the UK, food manufacturers are required to include nutritional information on their packaging — but there’s a catch. While government agencies like the Food Standards Agency (FDA) in the UK offer guidelines, it is often up to the manufacturers themselves to decide what a “serving size” is.

Yes, really. The people who make the food get to decide how much of it counts as a serving.

They may base this on market research, nutritional guidelines, or just… what makes the product look better on the label. If a smaller portion size makes the calories, fat, or sugar content look more appealing, that’s often the size that ends up being listed.

What’s the point of having when they don’t reflect how people actually eat?

1. To provide a baseline for nutrition labels

Portion sizes are used as the unit for calculating the rest of the nutrition info. Without them, food companies wouldn’t have a standardised way to say how many calories or nutrients are in a serving.

2. To help consumers compare products (in theory)

A standard portion allows us to line up two products and see which has more sugar, less salt, etc. But in practice, portion sizes vary so much between brands that the comparison isn’t always fair… or helpful.

3. To meet legal requirements

In many countries, it is law to provide nutrition information per recommended serving and per 100g. The portion is just a checkbox to tick — not a reflection of actual eating habits.

4. To make the product look better

Let’s be honest — smaller portions make the numbers look prettier. If the portion size is tiny, the calorie count looks low, and the product seems “healthier”.

5. To protect the company

Listing a small “recommended” serving also gives companies a bit of legal cover. It is a subtle way of saying, “If you ate too much, that’s not on us.”

So really, portion sizes aren’t about you. They’re about packaging, presentation, and policy. And that disconnect is where things start to become dangerous — especially for people struggling with disordered eating.

The Problem for People with Eating Disorders

Here’s where it gets serious. For anyone who’s struggled with and eating disorder or disordered eating whether it’s restrictive, binge-related, or obsessive behaviours around food, these portion sizes can be incredibly triggering.

When you're trying to heal your relationship with food, being told that 30g of pasta is a “serving” (when you know that’s barely a mouthful) can create shame, confusion, and anxiety. You may start to question your hunger cues, feel guilty for eating more than the label suggests, or fall into the trap of compulsively measuring and counting calories again, all things that can worsen or reignite an eating disorder.

Even for people in recovery, these labels can act like little landmines: seemingly harmless until they explode into feelings of failure or a relapse into unhealthy patterns.

So What Can Be Done?

Honestly, portion sizes on labels need to be more realistic. Some countries are starting to move in that direction, showing nutrition info for the entire product alongside per-portion stats. That’s a step forward.

But perhaps more importantly, we need to shift the conversation away from arbitrary numbers and back toward intuitive eating: listening to your body, honouring your hunger and fullness and, rejecting the idea that there is a “correct” amount of food for everyone. Because there isn’t.

We all have different requirements, and no food label, no matter how official it looks, gets to decide how much you should eat!

If you are finding food a minefield, are struggling with knowing what to eat or are in the midst of an eating disorder, then GET IN TOUCH TODAY!