Whether you're looking to lose weight or eat healthier in general, portion-control containers make it infinitely easier. (Sarah Glinkski/PackIt/Yahoo)
Portion-control tools are clever containers and gadgets designed to take the guesswork out of eating the right serving size of food. Whether it's a bento box, kitchen scale or portion-control plate, these tools are becoming kitchen staples for people looking to lose weight or keep their blood sugar in check.
Why? Because they make managing portions simple and effective. According to Vanessa Imus of Integrated Nutrition for Weight Loss, there are several benefits to using portion-control tools. First, they improve accuracy. "Measuring out your portions ensures that the amount you think you're eating is the amount you're actually eating," she explains. She adds that visual aids like bento boxes or portion plates also help ensure you get a variety of foods and a good balance of nutrients. Finally, "using portion-control tools has been shown to improve adherence to dietary plans, leading to better weight loss outcomes," says Imus. In other words? Using portion-control tools may help you shed a few pounds.
Overall, portion-control tools can be pretty useful when it comes to balancing your nutrition. To help you choose the best ones, we tested almost 30 products and spoke with three registered dietitians to get their take on features to look for when choosing the right portion-control tool for your needs. Plus, as a registered dietitian myself who used to work in a weight management clinic, I'm intimately familiar with coaching people on the best ways to identify the right portion sizes and manage their overall food intake. Here are our top picks for the best portion-control tools to keep in your kitchen.
Update, Aug. 13, 2025: We’ve confirmed current pricing and availability for all products. Our top picks have remained unchanged.
Portion-control tools can make it easier to manage serving sizes. Here are some popular options.
Kitchen scales: "The most accurate way to measure your portion sizes is by using a kitchen scale," says Umo Callins, a sports dietitian and fitness coach with Well Rooted Health and Nutrition in Oklahoma City. She explains that this is because they allow you to weigh food in different measurement units, which is more precise than using cups or spoons.
Measuring cups: Measuring cups are a simple and effective tool for portioning ingredients like grains and liquids. They're especially helpful for recipes that need precise measurements or for portioning foods like rice, pasta, soups and sauces. "For liquids, clear measuring cups with easy-to-read markings are recommended," says Callins.
Portion-control plates: Designed with built-in sections for proteins, veggies and carbs, portion-control plates make it easy to balance meals visually. They're ideal for people who prefer not to count calories but still want a guideline for balanced eating.
Calorie tracking apps: Apps like MyFitnessPal and Lose It! help you log your food intake and monitor portion sizes from your smartphone or tablet. These tools often include barcode scanning features and extensive food databases, making it easier to find the foods you regularly consume and accurately track your intake.
Snack containers: Snack containers with various compartments are great for portioning out nuts, fruits and other small snacks. They're especially useful for kids' lunches or on-the-go snacking.
Bento boxes: Bento boxes are a versatile and visually appealing way to portion meals. They typically have multiple compartments for proteins, carbs and veggies. This allows you to stick to set portion sizes of these foods while also keeping the foods separate in the container.
Overall, different tools offer different benefits. Choosing which tool to use will depend on your lifestyle and dietary goals.
There are several factors to consider when making a purchase of portion-control tools, including:
Material: "Material is important when choosing portion-control products," says Jennifer Bianchini, functional nutrition and mindfulness expert and founder of Body to Soul Health. Bianchini recommends choosing baking spoons and cups made of stainless steel and storage containers made of glass because they're safe, durable and environmentally sustainable. "If stainless steel or glass is not an option, choose silicone material or food-grade plastic free of BPA," she advises.
Accuracy: "Ensure the product, like food scales or measuring cups, offers precise measurements," says Imus. She adds that digital scales should have accuracy to at least one gram.
Price: Callins recommends choosing options that fit within your budget and provide good value for money. "Consider shopping around for good deals," she advises. She adds that store brands or generic brands tend to be more affordable than popular name brands.
Durability: "Look for durable products that resist wear," says Imus, "especially if used daily." She notes that stainless steel and glass are good options. "Look for glassware that retains its measurement lines over time," she advises.
Special features: "Some products include features like pre-set measurements or Bluetooth connectivity to track consumption on an app," explains Imus. This is particularly true of items like kitchen scales. She adds that this can be helpful for people actively managing their diet.
To choose the best tools for portion control, we tested over 20 different products, including bento boxes, snack boxes, snack bags, measuring cups, silicone baking cups, serving spoons, squeezable oils, dishes and meal prep containers. We also spoke with three registered dietitians who gave us insight into what factors to consider when choosing a portion-control product and some of the benefits of using such products.
We tested the items by preparing snacks and lunches to be stored in the portable containers (like bento boxes, snack boxes and bags) and cooking with the other items (like the measuring cups, silicone baking cups and cooking oils). As a registered dietitian who cooks frequently and has worked in weight management clinics, I was able to evaluate the usability and quality of each product compared to other products I have tried.
"The most accurate way to measure portion sizes is to use a digital food scale that measures in grams or ounces," says Imus. However, she acknowledges that this method is not the most convenient for many people. Instead, "being able to use a measuring cup or measuring scoop is typically the fastest and easiest way to measure portions with a fairly good amount of accuracy," she says.
"For soups and sauces, ladles with measurement markings or liquid measuring cups work the best," says Bianchini. She notes that these products are consistent, easy to use and require minimal effort while ensuring accurate portions. She also recommends using glass mason jars if you're meal prepping things like soups or casseroles. "Mason jars have measurements in fluid ounces and milliliters, making it extremely accurate [while] taking away an additional step," she explains, adding that Mason jars also help keep food fresh — an extra bonus!
There are many ways to control portion size, but some of the most effective are using smaller plates or bowls, pre-portioning meals and snacks and measuring food with tools, says Imus. "Studies show that smaller dishware can trick the brain into thinking you're eating more," she explains, "which can reduce overall food consumption."
In addition, she explains that instead of eating directly from a package of food like crackers or nuts, measure out an appropriate portion (such as one ounce of nuts) and place that in a small bowl or container to avoid grazing or overeating.
Finally, Imus explains that using tools like food scales, measuring cups or portion plates helps ensure you know how much you're actually eating. "If you're tracking your intake in an app to lose weight, these tools allow you to record the amount of food accurately so you can stick to the calorie budget you're aiming for."
However, while measuring your portions is all well and good, one often overlooked aspect of controlling portion size is not skipping meals, says Callins. "Skipping meals tends to lead to eating larger portions later on," she explains. She recommends sticking to a consistent meal and snack schedule, which may make it easier to manage your portions.
In addition to the products that made our list, we tried several other portion-control products. Here are some that we tried:
Melii: We also tried the Melii Snackle Boxes with four and six compartments, as well as the Spin Snack Container. While the Snackle Box Mini with six compartments held a lot of snacks, we felt it was too bulky for taking in a purse on the go. The four-compartment Snackle Box was good for small snacks like nuts and seeds, but lacked the versatility of some of the other snack bags and boxes we tried. Finally, while we loved the idea of the Spin Snack Container, the wheel kept getting stuck, making it difficult to use.
Stasher: In addition to the silicone snack and sandwich bags that we tried and loved, we also tried Stasher's 1-cup bowl, 2-cup bowl and Stand-Up Mid bag. We found that the bowls were too bulky for snacks but felt that they would work well for holding leftover soup or casserole (we didn't notice any leakage when we tested them, and they're oven-safe). The Stand-Up Mid bag was quite large, which we felt made it unsuitable for an individual snack bag. However, if you're packing snacks for multiple people, it could be useful.
Great Jones: We tried Great Jones's Great Spoon for portioning out pasta and rice, but because of the shape, it was difficult to scoop these foods. However, it worked very well for soups and sauces.
Good Cook: We tried Good Cook's two-compartment and three-compartment meal prep containers. While we loved that the compartments were labeled with portion sizes (in cups) and kept foods separate, they leaked a bit when jostled around, which could be a problem for people who want to bring them to work in a lunch bag. However, if you just plan on using them at home, they're a good option that stacks nicely in the fridge or freezer.
Bentgo: We tried a variety of Bentgo products, including the Bentgo Prep 2 Compartment Set, the Bentgo Kids Print Lunchbox and the Bentgo Bowl. All of them are high-quality products that can certainly help with portion control, but each fell a little short when it came to including them on the list above. The prep containers aren't designed to be used forever, and it shows in their construction — they're a bit flimsy and we were worried the lids popping off. The Bentgo Bowl is a nice, leak-proof option for transporting soups and pastas, but the 21-ounce interior size may be a bit large for portion control, depending on what you're eating. And the Kids Print Lunchbox is cute, but the compartment shapes aren't very functional (depending on what you're packing) and the hinges on one of the lunch boxes broke during testing.
Ezpz: We tried a variety of the Ezpz feeding tools for toddlers and preschoolers. The Happy Feeding Set for kids over two years of age is cute and kid-friendly and makes it easy and fun to portion out different foods. However, we found the mat a bit challenging to fit in the dishwasher and a pain to wash by hand. This held true for the Mini Mat and Mini Bowl we tested for younger toddlers (under two years of age), although of the group, we liked the Mini Bowl best. We also found that the cups (one that came with the Happy Feeding Set and the Mini Cup for younger toddlers) were too easy for our kids to take the lids off of — we prefer cups that lock tight.
Vanessa Imus, MS, RDN of Integrated Nutrition for Weight Loss
Umo Callins, MS, RD, LD, CSSD, CPT, a sports dietitian and fitness coach with Well Rooted Health and Nutrition, based in Oklahoma City
Jennifer Bianchini, MS, RDN, IFNCP, RYT, functional nutrition and mindfulness expert, founder of Body to Soul Health
Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.