How Much is a Serving?

You know you are supposed to eat five fruits and vegetables a day, two servings of protein and so on. (food pyramid)

The tough question is, what constitutes a serving? Are you getting enough. Are you serving your children enough?

Here is a list from the USDA Center for Nutrition  policy and promotion of the most common foods from the food groups to reveal the secret to portion control.

Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
• 1/2 cup cooked rice, cereal, pasta

Vegetables

• 1 cup raw leafy vegetables
• 1/2 cup other vegetables
  cooked or raw
• 3/4 cup vegetable juice

Fruits

• 1 medium apple, orange
  banana or pear
• 1/2 cup chopped, cooked
  or canned fruit
• 3/4 cup fruit juice

Dairy

• 1 cup milk or yogurt
• 1 1/2 ounces natural cheeses
• 2 oz processed cheese

Meat/poultry/fish/beans/eggs/nuts

• 2-3ounces meat/poultry/fish

These count as 1 ounce of meat:

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 1/3 cup nuts
• 1/2 cup dry beans or tofu