The portion of food that is served to an individual at a meal is called a ration.
Ration is a term that comes from the Latin word ratio . The term in our language is used to name the fraction , portion or piece of food that is served to a person at a meal.
For example: “I am not satisfied with my portion of salad: I would like you to serve me a little more, please” , “The portion of meat offered in this restaurant is very large, I don't think I can finish it” , “As you have approved the exam, today you will receive a double helping of vanilla ice cream” ..
The recommended portion according to the diet
When we follow a diet to lose weight or gain weight, it is common for the professional in charge of designing it to tell us how many servings of each food we should eat per meal . In fact, this term is not used so much in everyday speech unless we are in a conversation related to problems of obesity or, on the contrary, nutritional deficiency , an illness that affects millions of people around the world, regardless of their age. social condition.
Food deficiency, also called nutritional deficiency , is a phenomenon that occurs when a person does not consume a sufficient amount of one or more nutrients that are essential for the health of our body. Although one of the causes of this problem is the absence of these elements in food, it can also occur as a result of an illness that causes their elimination at a higher rate than normal.
Organizing our diet so that it covers all our nutritional needs is not easy, even for those who do not reject vegetables and fruits. Given the exposure that modern life entails to certain diseases and infections, especially in urban areas, human beings tend to need certain supplements to maintain our health that were not necessary for our distant ancestors.
It is recommended to eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
“5 a day” plan
The plan called "5 a day" teaches us to consume five daily servings of fresh fruits and vegetables to maintain a balanced and healthy diet . The secret behind the number of servings is that they provide us with approximately 85% water, various vitamins (including C, B1, B2, B3, B6 and folic acid), carotenoid compounds (especially beta-carotene ), minerals (such as magnesium, potassium and small amounts of phosphorus, iron and calcium), phytochemicals (organic compounds such as phenolics, phytosterols and glucosinolates, which plants have and offer us various benefits) and fiber.
Eating just five servings of fruits and vegetables a day helps us prevent various health problems, such as digestive disorders, some heart diseases, certain types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, without forgetting that it is the ideal way to combat obesity. and overweight .
The ration as allocation
The concept can also be used to indicate the allocation , whether monetary or in kind, that is given each day to some workers (such as sailors or soldiers) so that they can feed themselves. On the other hand, ration is the name for the quantity of certain products , whose sale is restricted by an exceptional situation, that people can buy.
In a sense similar to this last meaning, the food that allows a soldier to eat on the battlefield is known as a combat ration . One can also speak of an emergency ration when the food in question is delivered to the victims of a disaster .
The term in colloquial language
In colloquial language, the idea of ration can be used to name the level , quantity or number of something.
“I miss you, I need a good portion of your kisses”, “The skilled Portuguese striker received his usual share of kicks every time he entered the rival area”y “Who wants a dose of tickling before going to sleep?” son expresiones que muestran este uso.