Understanding the USDA recommended serving sizes can help you figure out how much to eat from the different food groups for good health. Many people eat portions that consist of more than one serving without even realizing it, leading to unintentional overeating. Once you understand serving sizes, you will have a tool to help you eat more healthfully.
Serving Sizes
For the grains group, 1/2 cup of cooked grains or pasta, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal or 1 slice of bread equals one serving. A fruit serving consists of one medium piece of fruit, 1/2 cup of chopped or cooked fruit or 3/4 cup of fruit juice. A vegetable serving consists of 1/2 cup of chopped or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice. A dairy serving consists of 1-1/2 oz. of natural cheese, 2 oz. of processed cheese or 1 cup of milk or yogurt. A protein serving consists of 3 oz. of meat, one egg, 1/2 cup of cooked beans, 1/3 cup of nuts or 2 tbsp. of peanut butter.
Comparisons
It helps if you can estimate these serving sizes when you eat out. A 1/2-cup serving should look like half a baseball or a cupcake wrapper, a 1-cup serving should be the size of a baseball or your fist, an ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb, a pancake should be the size of a CD, 3 oz. of meat is the size of a deck of cards and 2 tbsp. of peanut butter is the size of a ping pong ball.
Differences Between Pyramid and Nutrition Facts Label Servings
The servings listed on the nutrition facts label aren't always the same as the ones used by the Food Pyramid. The nutrition facts serving sizes were set after consideration of how much people normally eat of a certain food and should be the same for all similar foods regardless of the brand you choose to purchase.
Considerations
Until you get used to the various serving sizes and how they look, use measuring cups and spoons to make sure you are eating the amount you should of a particular food. When using the nutrition facts label, check to see how many servings are in the package, and multiply the nutrition information by the amount of servings you actually consume so you know how much of the various nutrients your meal contained.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: Serving Sizes in the Food Guide Pyramid and on the Nutrition Facts Label: What's Different and Why?; David Herring, M.S., et al; December 2000
- United States Department of Agriculture: What's in a Serving Size?; March 2003
- United States Department of Agriculture: How Much Are You Eating?; March 2002
- Weight-control Information Network: Just Enough For You - About Food Portions; Samuel Klein, M.D., et al; June 2009
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