Superfoods – Portion Size vs Serving Size

January 20, 2010 | By Kaety Ashlie In Health |

A portion size is not the same as a serving size. Serving size is a certain amount. Such as an 8 oz glass of juice or a 1/2 cup of diced vegetables. A portion size is the amount of food you eat. So if you eat one large banana (portion size), then you might actually be eating 2 or 3 serving sizes from the fruit and vegetable group…So how do you know what is what to make sure you are getting the right amounts?

Fruits – every 1/2 cup of sliced fruit equals a serving. A whole fruit about the size of a baseball is about 1 serving. If you have a large piece of fruit, and half of that fruit looks to be about the size of a baseball, then you have 2 servings from that one piece of fruit.
Vegetables – You can determine serving sizes for most vegetables the same as you can for fruits. The only difference is the leafy vegetables. Since they are so low in calories, 1 serving is about 1 to 2 cups.
Breads and cereals – one slice of bread equals one serving. A 1/2 cup of rice, pasta, etc. equals 1 serving. For bagels, etc. read the label on the back of the packaging to see what they consider a serving size to be.
Fats and oils – A serving size of fat or oil is 1 teaspoon
Proteins – 3 ounces of meat, fish or poultry is a servings size. Think deck of cards. If you have a thinner fillet, then think about your checkbook and that is about the size you want to eat for a serving size. One egg is a serving size and 1/2 cup of legumes equals a serving size.

Paying attention to the serving sizes on the back of packaged foods will help you figure out what you should be eating. Just remember to keep a close eye on the bad things: sodium, partially hydrogenated oils, etc.

Mypyramid.gov is a great site that will show you what servings you need. What you need might be different than what your husband or children will need. So for the best health, you need to know what these amounts are.

Some great books to learn more about Superfoods:

Superfoods for Babies and Children

The Superfoods Rx Diet