Portion sizes: the usual benchmarks
These are the quantities commonly used in cooking for one adult. Starchy foods and pulses are given raw (dry): as they cook, they absorb water and end up weighing about two and a half times as much. For ounces, divide the grams by 28.
| Food | As a main dish | As a side |
|---|---|---|
| Dried pasta (raw) | 80 to 100 g | 40 to 70 g |
| Rice (raw) | 80 to 100 g | 50 to 70 g |
| Couscous, bulgur (raw) | 80 to 100 g | 50 to 70 g |
| Lentils, chickpeas (dry) | 60 to 80 g | 40 to 60 g |
| Potatoes (raw) | 250 to 300 g | 150 to 200 g |
| Meat, fish (raw) | 120 to 150 g | — |
| Vegetables | 200 to 300 g | 150 to 200 g |
How much rice per person?
As a side, allow 50 to 70 g of raw rice per adult (about 2 to 2.5 oz); as a main dish, 80 to 100 g (about 3 to 3.5 oz). Once cooked, rice weighs about two and a half times its raw weight: 60 g of raw rice gives about 150 g of cooked rice.
For four adults, that makes 200 to 280 g of raw rice as a side, or 320 to 400 g as a main dish.
Leftover cooked rice needs more care than most leftovers: cool it quickly, keep it in the fridge, and don’t reheat it more than once.
How much pasta per person?
For a pasta dish, allow 80 to 100 g of dried pasta per adult (about 3 to 3.5 oz); as a side, 40 to 70 g. Once cooked, 100 g of dried pasta weighs about 250 g. Fresh pasta already contains water: allow about 120 to 150 g per adult as a main dish.
Portion control: why the right amount depends on the person
An average portion says nothing about one person in particular.
To lose weight, the plate keeps generous vegetables and a full portion of protein, with less of the starchy food. To build muscle, the protein and the starchy food go up. For a child, the portion follows their age.
A kitchen scale is the simplest form of portion control: it shows what a ladle or a handful can’t.