The Definition Of Food Pyramid Serving Sizes

A food guide pyramid is a visual representation of the foods you should choose for a balanced diet. You can visit Mypyramid.gov, the food pyramid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for information about the different food groups and other recommendations. To know how much you should eat from each food group, you need to know what a serving size means for the foods in the group.

Calories and the Food Pyramid

The food pyramid serving sizes are the same no matter who you are, but the number of servings that you should get from each group depends on the number of calories that you eat each day. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services state average total daily calorie needs based on gender, with males needing more calories than females, on age, with younger adults needing more than older adults, and on level of physical activity, with active individuals needing more than sedentary.

Ounce-Equivalents

Mypyramid.gov uses oz.-equivalents to make recommendations for grains and protein foods. An oz.-equivalent for grains is 1 small slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cooked bulgur, pasta, rice or oatmeal, 3 cups of popcorn or 1 cup of breakfast cereal. For protein foods, an oz.-equivalent is 1 oz. of meat, poultry or fish, one egg, 1/2 oz. of nuts or 1/4 cup beans. Each day, a person on a 2,000-calorie diet should have 6 oz.-equivalents of grains, with at least half from whole grains instead of refined, and 5.5 oz.-equivalents of protein foods, including 4 oz. per week of nuts and seeds and 8 oz. per week of seafood.

Cups

Mypyramid.gov uses cups, which measure volume, for most fruit, vegetable and dairy recommendations. A serving of fruit is 1 cup of fresh or canned fruit or fruit juice, 1/2 cup of dried fruit or 1 small apple or medium pear. A serving of vegetables is 1 cup of raw vegetables or 1/2 cup of cooked. Dairy servings are 1 cup of milk or yogurt, or 1 1/2 oz. of cheese. Each day, have 2 1/2 cups of fruit, 2 cups of vegetables and 3 cups from the milk group if you are on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Teaspoons and Discretionary Calories

A serving of healthy oils is 1 tsp., according to the Food Pyramid. You may lower your cholesterol levels when you use oils instead of saturated fat, such as from butter, and a person on a 2,000-calorie diet can have 5 tsp. per day of canola, corn, cottonseed, olive, safflower, soybean or sunflower oil. You can also have 265 to 360 discretionary calories, which can come from unhealthy foods such as added sugars and solid fats.