Serving sizes for MyPyramid
Serving size can be confusing. Many people think that a serving of a food is what is put on their plate or what they order in a restaurant. But what you see as a serving is often much larger than a serving according to the MyPyramid
. Because of this, it is easy to eat more than what is recommended.
It is all right to eat larger servings than this (or to eat "multiple" servings) if you are hungry. For example, if you need 6 to 9 servings from the grain group, you will need to eat more than 1 serving at meals.
Food pyramid servings Food MyPyramid serving What it looks like Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta Bread 1 slice [1 oz (28 g)]
-- Dry cereal 1 oz (28 g)
-- Cooked cereal, pasta, rice, or other grain 1/2 cup [1 oz (28 g)]
1/2 of a small fist or an ice cream scoop Vegetables Leafy, raw vegetables 1 cup
4 lettuce leaves Cooked, chopped, or raw nonleafy vegetables 1/2 cup
Tight fist or an ice cream scoop Vegetable juice 3/4 cup [6 oz (170 g)]
Small Styrofoam cup Fruit Chopped, cooked, or canned fruit 1/2 cup
1/2 of a baseball Apple or orange
1 medium piece
-- Banana 1/2
-- Fruit juice 3/4 cup [6 oz (170 g)]
Small Styrofoam cup Dried fruit 1/4 cup
Large egg Milk, yogurt, and cheese Milk or yogurt 1 cup [8 oz (227 g)]
Baseball Natural cheese 1.5 oz (44 g)
6 stacked dice Processed cheese 2 oz (57 g)
8 stacked dice Meat, poultry, fish, tofu, dry beans, eggs, and nuts
Note: The amount of beans, tofu, eggs, peanut butter, and nuts specified here is equivalent to 1 oz (28 g) of meat.
Meat, poultry, or fish 2 oz (57 g) to 3 oz (85 g)
Deck of cards (3 oz) Cooked dry beans 1/4 cup
Large egg Tofu 1/4 cup
Large egg Eggs 1 egg
-- Peanut butter 1 Tbsp
1 thumb Nuts 1/2 oz
1/2 golf ball
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS | Last Updated: February 23, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator | |
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