Explain the concept of portion control and its relationship to food cost and yield.

• A. Standardized serving sizes; ensures consistent yield and accurate costing.
• B. Vary serving sizes to maximize appetite.
• C. Ignore weights to speed service.
• D. Only focus on plating aesthetics.

Answer: (A)

Portion control means using standardized serving sizes for every dish. This keeps servings consistent, leading to predictable yield from a recipe and accurate costing. When portions are weighed or measured and staff are trained to serve the same amount each time, you know exactly how much product a batch will produce, how much it costs to make those portions, and how much waste to expect after cooking and trimming. That clarity lets you calculate true food cost per portion and set menu prices that protect profit, while also guiding inventory planning and purchasing so you don’t over- or under-order. If portions aren’t standardized, yield becomes unpredictable and cost per portion varies with each plate, making pricing and stocking unreliable. Choices that focus only on speed or appearance miss the point, because they don’t address the financial impact of portion size.