Portion control means choosing a healthy amount of a certain food. Portion control helps you get the benefits of the nutrients in the food without overeating. Portion control is important because it helps you: Digest food easier. Reach or maintain a healthy weight.

Using portion control as your primary healthy-eating strategy allows you to eat almost any food while keeping calories in check. And the calorie savings are significant: Normalizing portions could reduce calorie intake by almost one-third—about 527 calories per day, according to one study.