Your Guide to Serving Sizes

We see this on food labels everywhere, but how many of you accurately know how much food equals one serving? The serving size is the set amount of food you will eat in one sitting. Oftentimes, we eat much more than the serving size suggests. What exactly does one serving equate to? According to the American Heart Association, we should be consuming the following of the major food groups:

· 5 servings of vegetables per day

· 4 servings of fruit per day

· 6 servings of grains per day (at least 3 servings should be whole grains)

· 3 servings of low-fat dairy per day

· 8-9 servings of poultry, meat, and eggs per week

· 2-3 servings of fish or other seafood per week

· 5 servings of nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes per week

· 3 servings of fats and oils per day

It is a lot easier to think about servings as measurable portions. The amounts are slightly different for each food group, so keep this in mind when determining what equals a serving!

1 serving of vegetables = ½ cup fresh, frozen, canned

1 serving of fruit = ½ cup of fresh or frozen fruit, ½ large apple or 1 small apple, 1 banana, 1 pear, 1 orange

1 serving of grains = 1 oz. = 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of dry cereal, ½ cup cooked rice or pasta

1 serving of dairy = 1 cup milk/yogurt

1 serving of protein = 1 oz. of meat/poultry/fish, 1 egg, 1 tbsp nut butter, ½ oz. of nuts or seeds

Check out Choose My Plate for more in depth examples!

Taking all of this information and compiling it into a realistic view of how we can measure food, we get:

· 2.5 cups of vegetables per day

· 2 cups of fruits per day

· 3 cups of grains per day (at least 50% of your grains should be whole-grains! This equates to 1.5 cups of whole grains)

· 3 cups of dairy per day

· 5-6 oz. equivalents of protein per day (this includes meat, fish, eggs, nuts & seeds)

· 3-6 tbsp of fats and oils per day

We can measure cups pretty easily, but how about ounces? That may be tougher to tell especially if you do not have a food scale. I am a visual learner, so picture these images when determining the correct serving:

· Your palm = 1 serving of protein

· Your entire thumb = 1 tbsp

· Your fist = 1 serving of dairy

· Half your fist = 1 serving of fruits, veggies, grains

Look to your hand next time you are in the kitchen to get your portion sizes correct!

Now, it is important to note that what I have listed are the MINIMUM required servings. These numbers will vary depending on your age, gender, and activity level. Use these guidelines as a baseline for a solid nutrition plan and work around to increase values based on your goals and needed calories!

Don’t forget what percentage of each macronutrient should make up your total daily caloric intake:

45-65% = complex carbohydrates

10-30% = protein

25-35% = fat

I know it can be confusing to understand how much of certain foods to eat for optimal health. I hope this helps you get started in your nutrition journey as an easy to read, quick guide for how to obtain all those much-needed nutrients in your diet! Challenge yourself to meet these recommendations each day by incorporating new whole foods from each food group into your meals.