The two basics of healthy eating are knowing which foods are the better choices and then knowing portion sizes. With the variety of portions served in restaurants, in your home and in packaged foods, it can be very confusing to know what is the right portion size. Let’s make the portion size a bit clearer.
First, a portion is the reference amount for a food within each of the five food groups in the dietary guidelines or on MyPlate. Second, portions sizes will not vary, but the number of servings (portions) you should consume will depend on your body size and physical activity. The following examples describe one portion.
- ½ cup rice, pasta or cooked cereal
- 1 slice of whole grain bread
- 1 cup of milk or yogurt
- ½ cup cooked vegetables or of chopped, cooked or canned fruit
- 1 cup of raw veggies
- 1 medium piece of fruit
- 1 ounce of meat, fish, poultry or an equivalent of beans
You may think these portions look small, but remember, depending on your body size and activity your portions per meal will vary. The average meal would look something like this:
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- 3 portions or 1 ½ cups of rice
- 2 portions or 1 cup of veggies
- 4 portions or 4 ounces of meat, fish or poultry or beans
- 1 portion or 1 cup of milk
- ½ cup diced fruit
Knowing how many portions are right for you is simple. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans not only describe portion sizes they also include pictures for many popular food items. You can learn more about portions and how many you need to meet your nutritional needs, while maintaining a healthy body weight, by visiting www.choosemyplate.gov.
Once you’ve learned more about portions, you can use this knowledge to modify how much you eat when presented with servings that are larger than you need to consume. Knowing what a portion looks like, how many portions are an appropriate serving for your body and which foods are the healthier options are the key components to developing a healthier eating plan.