Eating the correct serving size is crucial to maintaining your ideal weight or shedding extra pounds of body fat. Lean sources of protein low in saturated fat and cholesterol are your best bet, not just for your weight but your overall health. The recommended serving size of lean protein defined by MayoClinic.com and the advised daily amount of protein foods suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ChooseMyPlate.gov may be far less than what you'd normally put on your dinner plate.
Serving Size
MayoClinic.com suggests that you consume 3, 4 or 5 servings of protein, including dairy foods, for 1,200-, 1,400- and 1,600-calorie diets, respectively. Serving sizes may differ depending on the type of protein you choose. A serving of grilled or baked fish is 3 ounces, while a serving of skinless chicken breast is 2 1/2 ounces. A serving of lean cooked hamburger is 2 ounces. You can also choose from other sources of protein: one egg, 1/2 cup of baked beans, 2/3 cup of low-fat cottage cheese or plain yogurt, 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of low-fat cheddar, two 1-inch slices of hard or soft tofu or 1 cup of skim milk or reduced-calorie soy milk. According to MayoClinic.com data, each of these servings has around 110 calories each.
USDA Recommendations
Rather than establishing serving sizes, the USDA's ChooseMyPlate.gov website recommends that you eat a specified number of 1-ounce equivalents from the protein food group each day. These differ depending on your age, gender and how much physical activity you get. Moderately active women age 19 to 30 need 5 1/2 ounce equivalents, while those age 31 and older need 5 ounce equivalents. Moderately active men age 19 to 30 should get 6 1/2 ounce equivalents each day. Those age 31 to 50 need 6 ounce equivalents, and those age 51 and older need 5 1/2 ounce equivalents.
Lean Protein
Certain foods in the protein group can be high in saturated fat, which in turn can increase your blood cholesterol and put you at risk for heart disease and other medical complications. Foods high in saturated fat also lead to weight gain. A 2.5-ounce serving of broiled prime rib has around 300 calories — almost triple the amount of that in a hamburger patty of the same size made from lean ground beef. Foods to limit or avoid include fatty cuts of meat, regular ground beef, duck whole-fat dairy foods and processed meat such as sausage, bacon, hot dogs and lunch meat. Protein foods can also be high in dietary cholesterol, which can also complicate your health, so go easy on eggs and organ meats. Harvard School of Public Health recommends that you focus on lean proteins, namely skinless poultry, fish and beans. If you consume soy foods, do so in moderation. Harvard suggests 2 to 4 servings of soy a week.
Tips
The Weight-control Information Network points out that there's a difference between a portion and a serving size. A portion is how much food you eat in one sitting. A serving size, on the other hand, may be much smaller than you think, especially if you're accustomed to eating your meals out. MayoClinic.com bloggers and nutritionists Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson state that the portions doled out by many restaurants can impair your judgment and make you think you should be eating far more food than you need. When eating out, eyeball the portions on your plate. A serving of chicken breast or a lean hamburger patty is the size of 2/3 deck of playing cards, while a serving of fish is the size of the entire deck. A serving of low-fat cottage cheese is the size of 4 playing dice. A 1/2-cup serving of beans is around the size of half a baseball.
References
- Weight-control Information Network: Just Enough for You
- MayoClinic.com: Slide Show: Guide to Portion Control for Weight Loss; August 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Portion Control; K. Zeratsky, J. Nelson; December 2009
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: Protein Foods
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Much Food From the Protein Foods Group is Needed Daily?; June 2011
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: What Counts as an Ounce Equivalent in the Protein Foods Group?
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source -- Protein: What Should You Eat?
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