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Serving Sizes
Serving Size Based on Food Groups
The following serving sizes are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Talk to your dietitian and ask how many servings from each group would be best for you.
Fruits serving sizes
- 1/2 banana
- 1 small apple, orange or pear
- 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit
Vegetables serving sizes
- 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
- 1/2 cup of other vegetables: cooked, raw (chopped) or canned
- 1/2 cup of vegetable juice
Bread, cereal, rice, starchy vegetables and pasta serving sizes
- 1 slice of bread
- 1/2 English muffin, bun, small bagel or pita bread
- 1 6-inch tortilla
- 4-6 crackers
- 2 rice cakes
- 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal
- 1/2 cup cooked cereal, pasta or bulgur
- 1/3 cup cooked rice
- 1 small potato or 1/2 large potato
- 1/2 cup sweet potatoes or yams
- 1/2 cup corn kernels or other starchy vegetables such as winter squash, peas or lima beans
Nuts, poultry, fish, eggs, dry beans, cheese and meat serving sizes
- 2-3 ounces cooked lean beef, veal, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey or fish
- 2-3 ounces low-fat natural cheese (such as Swiss, cheddar, Muenster, parmesan, mozzarella and others)
- 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans
- 1/4 cup tofu (bean curd)
- 1 egg (or equivalent serving of egg substitute)
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 2 ounces of processed cheese (American)
- 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup canned tuna (packed in water)
Milk and yogurt serving sizes
- 1 cup of low-fat milk
- 1 cup of low-fat yogurt (unsweetened or sweetened with aspartame or other artificial sweeteners)
Here are some helpful hints on how to measure one serving
- ½ cup fruit, vegetable, cooked cereal, pasta or rice = a small fist
- 3 ounces cooked meat, poultry or fish = a deck of cards
- 1 tortilla = a small (7 inch) plate
- ½ half bagel = the width of a large coffee lid
- 1 muffin = a large egg
- 1 teaspoon of margarine or butter = a thumb tip
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter = a golf ball
- a small baked potato = a computer mouse
- 1 pancake or waffle = a 4 inch CD
- 1 medium apple or orange = a baseball
- 4 small cookies (like vanilla wafers) = four casino chips
- 1-1/2 ounces of cheese = 6 dice
