THE ROAD OF PORTION CONTROL By Laura Anderson MS, RD Would you like a “portion” or a “serving”? This seemingly simple question, if asked to the average individual may not raise a brow. However, for athletes who are diligently tracking their food intake, this question should be regarded with great importance. I say with great importance because in today’s society portions are out of control and have become increasingly larger over the years. Athletes who are constantly on the circuit or traveling to train or compete may have difficulty establishing set eating patterns when they are unsure of how much they are being served or eating.

An example of how portions have “blown up” over the years is: This isn’t meant to scare athletes and coaches away from eating out. Let’s face it, the athletes’ lives are in the fast lane a majority of the time and eating on the go may serve as the only option when time is limited. During travel hotels and accommodations may provide minimal facilities for food preparation or storage leaving athletes little choice other than to utilize local eateries. It is very important to have strategies in place to assist an athlete in staying well nourished and hydrated. Use this information to help your athletes make better food choices. Portion vs. Serving A “portion size” is defined as the amount of food you choose to eat. Portions can be bigger or smaller than servings listed on the Food Label or on the Food Guide Pyramid. In contrast, “serving size” is a standard unit of measure of food. The serving sizes on the Nutrition Facts label are based on government established reference serving amounts and can help athletes compare nutrient information among similar foods. Food label information is very useful while traveling in the United States, however during international travel, label reading may not be an option. Food labels may be in a different language or nutrient information may be in a unit of measure unfamiliar to athletes. It can become frustrating when athletes are not able to recognize what a true serving size is and eat too much or too little. This may increase their risk for injury or an illness, delay recovery times, and may lead to poor performance and other physical and mental health issues. Actual Serving Sizes: It is important during preparation for travel that nutrition training is also occurring. Athletes need to be trained to estimate serving sizes to meet their needs. For example Bob (a Judo athlete) follows: a 2400 calorie eating program and has been trained on how to distribute his intake out throughout the day. He typically uses the nutrient labels on the food selections in the cafeteria to make sure he is staying within his calorie needs and incorporating the appropriate macronutrient amounts. Without the nutrient labels available, Bob may have to rely on his nutrition training to stay within his prescribed calorie budget. It is common for athletes to not know what 1 ounce of a food represents or what constitutes a “serving” of fish or chicken. Below are some examples to assess portion sizes. Education for Travel Additional education of appropriate serving sizes prior to departure should include the investigation of food at local shops and restaurants that the athletes will be utilizing. Travel agencies, competition organizers, embassies, or other athletes who have traveled to the destination may be useful resources to gain this information. Knowing meal options, serving sizes, and cooking styles ahead of time will minimize problems. Menus can often be planned in advance, which is especially important for athletes with special dietary needs. A beneficial activity for teams prior to international travel is to have an ethnic night where food information about the destination can be shared. Athletes can become familiarized with the types of food that will be available to them, learn about different eating customs and learn how to exchange serving sizes appropriately. Athletes can prepare a sample schedule consisting of where, when and what they are planning to eat each day to ensure energy needs are met or over-consumption isn’t occurring. It is important to encourage athletes to wait until after their competition to try new ethnic foods. Many countries have different standards of hygiene and food quality control than the United States and consequences of gastrointestinal upset can be very serious. Lastly, even if your team is lucky enough to be staying in a facility that provides communal eating or a buffet style food service, “portion distortion” can get the best of the athletes. Athletes may see their international travel as a vacation and become mesmerized by the assortment of different foods or distracted by the eating habits of those around them. The more education that can take place prior to travel, the better an athlete will be prepared in maintaining their nutrition goals and able to compete at an optimal level.