It can be hard to understand serving sizes, thus I'm providing
you with a chart of food portion sizes. We all remember learning about
the food pyramid in middle school- now USDA has made minor tweaks to the
one we originally learned about in school. The new pyramid is much more
flexible, as it takes factors such as gender, activity levels, and age
into account. Additionally, it now gives you suggestions on portion
size, not serving size, meaning that it looks at how much food weighs
when telling you how much of it you should eat.
This new food pyramid is called, 'mypyramid', and I think it's a great idea. Below I've outlined some general food portion sizes used by 'mypyramid'.
FOOD GROUP: OILS
Serving sizes are measured in teaspoons (tsp)
1 tsp (1 serving) of margarine = size of one die (plural dice)
2 tsp salad dressing = size of tip of your thumb
FOOD GROUP: Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Nuts
Serving sizes measured in ounces.
3 ounces of fish = size of a checkbook
3 ounces of meat or chicken = size of one deck of cards
2 ounces of peanut butter = size of a ping pong ball
FOOD GROUP: Milk, Cheese, Yogurt
Serving size measurements depend on what food. Example, one serving of milk/yogurt is a cup of it. One serving of cheese is 1.5 ounces.
1.5 ounces cheese= size of two 9volt batteries
FOOD GROUP: Fruits
One Serving of fruit equals to about 1 cup of the fruit, and.5 cups dried friut.
1 cup fruit = size of about 7 cotton balls
FOOD GROUP: Vegetables
Vegetables serving sizes are portioned in cups, like fruit. One serving size of veggies is about.1/2cup of veggies.
1/2 cup broccoli = size of a lightbulb
FOOD GROUP: Breads, Rice, Pasta, Cereals
1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup rice (cooked), pasta or cereal, all equal to one serving size.
1 slice of bread = size of a CD case
1 cup rice = size of a tennis ball
I know it can be tough to remember correct portion sizes, but a lot of people like to know these details. I think the most important thing is never to overeat, and to remember that your stomach is about the size of a fist. You should not be having much more than that each time you eat! It's especially hard to stick to these recommended food amounts when you go out to eat. Remember to eat the correct amount, and doggy-bag the rest home.
This new food pyramid is called, 'mypyramid', and I think it's a great idea. Below I've outlined some general food portion sizes used by 'mypyramid'.
FOOD GROUP: OILS
Serving sizes are measured in teaspoons (tsp)
1 tsp (1 serving) of margarine = size of one die (plural dice)
2 tsp salad dressing = size of tip of your thumb
FOOD GROUP: Meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Nuts
Serving sizes measured in ounces.
3 ounces of fish = size of a checkbook
3 ounces of meat or chicken = size of one deck of cards
2 ounces of peanut butter = size of a ping pong ball
FOOD GROUP: Milk, Cheese, Yogurt
Serving size measurements depend on what food. Example, one serving of milk/yogurt is a cup of it. One serving of cheese is 1.5 ounces.
1.5 ounces cheese= size of two 9volt batteries
FOOD GROUP: Fruits
One Serving of fruit equals to about 1 cup of the fruit, and.5 cups dried friut.
1 cup fruit = size of about 7 cotton balls
FOOD GROUP: Vegetables
Vegetables serving sizes are portioned in cups, like fruit. One serving size of veggies is about.1/2cup of veggies.
1/2 cup broccoli = size of a lightbulb
FOOD GROUP: Breads, Rice, Pasta, Cereals
1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup rice (cooked), pasta or cereal, all equal to one serving size.
1 slice of bread = size of a CD case
1 cup rice = size of a tennis ball
I know it can be tough to remember correct portion sizes, but a lot of people like to know these details. I think the most important thing is never to overeat, and to remember that your stomach is about the size of a fist. You should not be having much more than that each time you eat! It's especially hard to stick to these recommended food amounts when you go out to eat. Remember to eat the correct amount, and doggy-bag the rest home.
For more great advice on staying fit and healthy, visit my website Chart of Food and get in better shape today.
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