# Ridiculous serving sizes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2018, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267 "2018-07-20T12:41:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/41 "2018-07-20T19:58:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Yeah. Ben & Jerry’s claims a half cup is a serving. If that was true, it would come in half cup cartons. They do: [3.6 oz Ben & Jerry’s Mini Cups](https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/ice-cream-cups) ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/42 "2018-07-20T19:58:38Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > When I get the frozen lunch meals of pasta, 2 oz of pasta is probably about right. And I feel fine and fully sated afterwards. The problem with pasta – and the reason I try not to make it too much for myself – is that given a pot of pasta, I will try to eat the whole damned thing. I’m sure I could eat an entire pound of it without a second thought. I remember a story a buddy of mine told years ago. He is a big guy… about 6’6" and built like a linebacker. His college roommate was also a big guy… not nearly as tall, and definitely overweight. My buddy told me that he made two boxes of rigatoni with lots of sauce for the two of them. After finishing it all, they looked at the pasta boxes and figured out they had eaten 16 servings between the two of them. I don’t eat nearly that much, but it isn’t uncommon for our family of four to eat almost a full pound of pasta. I always cook a full pound, and there’s usually a little bit left over, but not much. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/43 "2018-07-20T20:03:19Z")
The other day, I was entering my calories after I ate a serving of Ramen Noodles. I noticed that the ‘serving size’ was half a block. _Seriously?_ Half a block? How does that even work? Do people break the block in half and then place it in the water? Or do they boil the noodles first and then portion out half of them when they are soft? And how am I to measure half a package of flavoring? _Have I been eating noodles wrong this whole time?_ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/44 "2018-07-20T20:18:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Grape-Nuts serving size is 1/2 cup. I know, because that’s exactly how much I ate, with one cup of milk (their recommendation was 1/2 cup, I believe), when I was minding my calorie intake a little more closely. And that, honestly, was fine for me, but I don’t like big breakfasts. Thank you for the correction. So the recommended serving is a 1/2 cup of cereal and a 1/2 cup of milk for a total of 1 cup…approximately the amount of pet food I put in the bowl each morning. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/45 "2018-07-20T20:34:28Z")
I think what’s considered an “acceptable” serving size has increased quite a bit in the past several years. One of those TV stations that run old shows used to include vintage ads at times. One had Ozzie Nelson talking about the King-Sized bottle of Coke which was 16 ounces and provided two servings. Nowadays people buy a Big Gulp which is – what? 32 ounces? – and consider it a single serving. McDonald’s for a while had a promotion that said you could get change back from your dollar when you bought your lunch from them. Lunch was a regular hamburger, small fries, and small soda. Quarter Pounders, when they were introduced, were considered to be big burgers – a dinner-sized portion for an average eater. Today most full-service restaurants serve burgers that are a half-pound. Some time ago I was waiting for service at the butcher counter of a local grocery. The woman in front of me asked for some pre-formed burger patties. When asked what size she wanted, she was visibly surprised. “The regular ones – not those sliders.”. The only options were 8-ounce and 4-ounce patties. Clearly she felt that a 4-oz burger was a snack, not a meal. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/46 "2018-07-20T20:40:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Jesus. I mean, I’m not a skinny guy or a paragon of self-control, that’s just a shit ton of ice cream to me, Walk 2200 miles over some of the most rugged terrain on the East Coast and you can eat pretty much all the calories you want. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/47 "2018-07-20T21:02:52Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Walk 2200 miles over some of the most rugged terrain on the East Coast and you can eat pretty much all the calories you want. I actually was going to comment on that. With that much physical expenditure, anything goes, of course. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/48 "2018-07-20T21:10:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Thank you for the correction. So the recommended serving is a 1/2 cup of cereal and a 1/2 cup of milk for a total of 1 cup…approximately the amount of pet food I put in the bowl each morning. Yeah, the regular serving size is about 250 calories if you’re using skim milk. That’s about 1/2-2/3 of the calories I try to get in for breakfast, so if I’m not eating anything else then, yeah, maybe 2/3 cup of each would be more a serving (and I use at least 2% if not whole milk). But I would usually have a banana for another hundred calories and maybe a yogurt for another hundred to round out the breakfast. At any rate, I keep breakfast in its entirely under 500 calories. Anything much more and I just slog along for the rest of the day. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/49 "2018-07-20T21:21:56Z")
> [@JB99](#): > > The other day, I was entering my calories after I ate a serving of Ramen Noodles. I noticed that the ‘serving size’ was half a block. > > _Seriously?_ Half a block? > > How does that even work? Do people break the block in half and then place it in the water? Or do they boil the noodles first and then portion out half of them when they are soft? And how am I to measure half a package of flavoring? _Have I been eating noodles wrong this whole time?_ Duh. You cook the whole block but give half to your sweetie when you’re making her that romantic dinner. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/50 "2018-07-20T21:27:25Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Upon further reading however, it states that a “serving” of milk is only 1 cup. Take a standard coffee cup and fill it only halfway-that is 1 cup. 1 cup is 8 fluid ounces, isn’t it? A coffee container that holds twice that much is a “mug,” not a cup. A traditional coffee cup is even smaller than 8 oz. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/51 "2018-07-20T21:44:24Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Duh. You cook the whole block but give half to your sweetie when you’re making her that romantic dinner. Big spender. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/52 "2018-07-20T21:53:48Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Duh. You cook the whole block but give half to your sweetie when you’re making her that romantic dinner. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Big spender. Sharing the seasoning packet is a sign of true commitment. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/53 "2018-07-20T22:57:24Z")
Remember the single serving boxes of cereal? [https://goo.gl/images/exdspm](https://goo.gl/images/exdspm) I always needed two slices of toast & jelly to complete my breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/54 "2018-07-20T23:09:21Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Sharing the seasoning packet is a sign of true commitment. I think I’m just going to eat the whole block and then regurgitate half of it for my nesting chicks. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/55 "2018-07-21T01:04:04Z")
> [@susan](#): > > “serving size” is an odd idea anyway. I much prefer uniform info for 100 g. across products. Yes. Very much so. Why isn’t this the default way of doing it? For one thing, “serving size” is an arbitrary number that’s different for everyone. For two, it uses only one realm of measurement (mass [weight]) unlike “serving size” which could be weight, volume, or worst of all, both (I speak of the dreaded and ridiculous unit, the ounce). Can we have this is the USA please? ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/56 "2018-07-21T07:43:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I mean, I lack self-control when it comes to food and drink, but I’m not sure I’ve ever finished an entire pint of ice cream by myself. That’s _a lot_ of ice cream! I’ve eaten three pints in the last three days. 🆒 B&J Gimme S’More (didn’t much like), Haagen-Dazs White Chocolate Raspberry Triple (also meh) and B&J Strawberry Shortcake. They were desserts to my one meal of the day, but I’ll admit that was kinda pushing it as far as calories go, as I usually aim for 2000-2500. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/57 "2018-07-21T11:23:50Z")
Unlike every single other chocolate bar which measures serving size as the whole package (king size or not), Twix says a serving size is a single bar even in the standard two bar package. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/58 "2018-07-21T12:17:23Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Nobody I know only eats 2 oz. of spaghetti or pasta, I probably would. I don’t think the little single serve boxes of cereal are too small, either, but I could probably fit in a slice of toast as well. The thing is, there are all sizes of people. Some huge man will obviously need more to keep him going than a small, skinny type. I remember when he was a teenager, my brother would eat multiple weet-bix for breakfast. I think his record was twelve. Growing or active people will pile it down. I think of myself as a “small eater” but I can scoff donuts and hot chips and anything at all I like and I don’t gain weight. I thought I would when I got old(er) because they say your metabolism slows down and you gain weight when you are eating the same as before. Didn’t happen. I’ve just lost weight being in hospital and I’m trying to eat more and more fattening food. I’ve just come back from the shops with all sorts of things to try to put the weight back on. We were saying that it would be great if fat could be moved from one person to another and sold as a commodity. There are heaps of people trying to lose weight who would be glad to sell me some… sigh. The portion sizes in the US do seem to be large, particularly those huge cups of soft drink, but they serve you way too much in cafes and restaurants over here, as well. I usually get takeaway because I hate wasting it. I can get several meals out of a “single” serve. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/59 "2018-07-21T12:58:13Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Maybe I’m misremembering, but didn’t Diet Coke (or Diet Pepsi?) used to be 2 servings in a 12 oz can? I always figured that’s how they got it down to 1 calorie. I don’t know. I’m drinking a can of Diet Coke right now, and it says one serving is the full 12 oz. can and has 0 calories. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267/60 "2018-07-21T14:12:38Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I don’t know. I’m drinking a can of Diet Coke right now, and it says one serving is the full 12 oz. can and has 0 calories. I don’t know about cans, but soda/pop used to be sold in 8 oz bottles as single servings. I believe that serving size continues on for many years, even as larger bottles were made. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculous-serving-sizes/818267.md?page=4)