Serving size can be confusing. Many people think that a serving of a food is what is put on their plate or what they get in a restaurant. But what you see as a serving is often much larger than a serving according to the MyPyramid food guide. 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 more than 1 serving) 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 | MyPyramid serving | |
|---|---|---|
Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta |
Bread |
1 slice (1 oz) |
Dry cereal |
½ to 1 cup (1 oz) |
|
Cooked cereal, pasta, rice, or other grain |
½ cup (1 oz) |
|
Vegetables |
Leafy, raw vegetables |
2 cups |
Cooked, chopped, or raw nonleafy vegetables |
1 cup |
|
Vegetable juice |
1 cup (8 fl oz) |
|
Fruit |
Chopped, cooked, or canned fruit |
1 cup |
Apple |
1 small apple |
|
Orange |
1 large orange |
|
Banana |
1 large banana |
|
Fruit juice |
1 cup (8 fl oz) |
|
Dried fruit |
½ cup |
|
Milk, yogurt, and cheese |
Milk or yogurt |
1 cup (8 fl oz) |
Natural cheese |
1½ oz |
|
Processed cheese |
2 oz |
|
|
Meat, poultry, fish, tofu, dry beans, eggs, and nuts Note: The amounts of beans, tofu, eggs, peanut butter, and nuts specified here are equal to 1 oz of meat. |
Meat, poultry, or fish |
1 oz |
Cooked dry beans |
¼ cup |
|
Tofu |
¼ cup |
|
Eggs |
1 egg |
|
Peanut butter |
1 Tbsp |
|
Nuts and seeds |
½ oz |
|
Credits
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator |
| Last Updated | February 6, 2009 |
