August 20, 2008
what is a portion size?
What is a serving size? Serving sizes can be confusing, however, it is important to know what a serving size is for healthy eating and especially for weight loss.
I will use this graphic to explain the New Food Pyramid and serving sizes. Each part of the pyramid is a different color and corresponds to a different food group. We will start on the left of the pyramid and move to the right.
Stairs: It is recommended that every adult get 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.
Orange: This group is the GRAIN group. It is recommended that a person eat 6 servings of this group daily. A serving size for this group is: 1 piece of bread, ½ cup pasta, rice or hot cereal/oatmeal. Half of this group should be whole-grain choices!
Green: This part is the VEGETABLE group. It is recommended that a person eat 2-3 servings from this group daily. The serving size for vegetables is 1 medium potato. If it were a cooked vegetable, it would be the size of your palm.
Red: This is the FRUIT group. It is recommended to eat 2 servings of this group daily. A serving from this group is usually the fruit itself, if it is medium-sized.
Yellow: This is the OIL/FAT part. It is recommended that food from this part be consumed sparingly. Healthier choices from this part are: olive or canola oil, salt-free nuts and avocados.
Blue: This part is the MILK group. It is recommended to eat 3 servings of this group daily. A serving size for this group is 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of yogurt, 1/3 cup shredded cheese, 1 ½ ounces of cheese or the size of your palm. The healthier choices for this group are low-fat milk, sour cream and yogurt and frozen yogurt.
Purple: This part is the MEAT AND BEANS group. It is recommended to get 2-3 servings of this group daily. A serving size is considered the size of a computer mouse or 1 small chicken leg, 1 egg, ½ cup beans or the size of a palm. Healthier choices in this group include: skinless chicken breast, turkey, whole beans, natural peanut butter, canned tuna in water with less salt and salmon.
Additional Resources: