Some proposed calorielowering strategies include eating foods that are low in calories for a given measure of food (., many kinds of vegetables and fruits and some soups). However, when making changes to improve nutrient intake, one needs to make substitutions to avoid excessive calorie intake. The healthiest way to reduce calorie intake is to reduce one’s intake of added sugars, fats, and alcohol, which all provide calories but few or no essential nutrients (for more information, see chs. 6, 7, and 9). Special attention should be given to portion sizes, which have increased significantly over the past two decades (). Though there are no empirical studies to show a causal relationship between increased portion sizes and obesity, there are studies showing that controlling portion sizes helps limit calorie intake, particularly when eating caloriedense foods (foods that are high in calories for a given measure of food). Therefore, it is essential that the public understand how portion sizes compare to a recommended amount of food (., serving) from each food group at a specific caloric level. The understanding of serving size and portion size is important in following either the DASH Eating Plan or the USDA Food Guide (see app. A). When using packaged foods with nutrient labels, people should pay attention to the units for serving sizes and how they compare to the serving sizes in the USDA Food Guide and the DASH Eating Plan. .
