Portion Control

Here is some information to familiarize you with what typical serving sizes look like with common visual cues. Remember that a serving is a standard of measurement (it doesn’t change) and your portion is how many servings you eat. Your portion may be smaller, equal or larger to a serving size depending on your daily calorie needs.

   Example:        A SERVING of fruit is 1/2 cup.

                           You eat 1 cup of blueberries at breakfast.

                           You therefore eat 2 servings (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup) of blueberries.

                           Therefore, your PORTION of fruit at breakfast is 2 servings.

	Serving Size	Sample Single Servings	Looks like (approximately)
Milk, Yogurt & Cheese (Calcium) Recommendation: 1,000 mg for most adults.	1 cup milk or yogurt	1 cup milk or yogurt	8 ounce plastic yogurt cup
	1-1.5 ounces	1.5 oz natural cheese	Size of a thumb, or 3.5 inch floppy disk.
		2 oz processed cheese
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts – Protein Sources Recommendation:  15-20% of total needed calories; amount varies between individuals. (75-100 g for 2000 calorie diet.)	3 ounces	3 oz of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish	3 ounces = a deck of cards or audiocassette tape.
	½ cups cooked dry beans	½ cup black beans	Tennis ball or muffin cup filled level to the top
		2 eggs	2 eggs or 1/4 cup
		2 Tbsp peanut butter	Ping pong ball
		1 ounce nuts	20-25 almonds; approximately one handful of nuts
Vegetables Recommendation: 2 1/2 cups per day for 2000 calorie diet; adjust based on individual calorie needs.	1 cup leafy greens or cruciferous vegetables	1 cup of salad greens or broccoli	Bigger than a tennis ball, smaller than a large grapefruit
	3/4 cup (6 ounces) vegetable juice	1/2 cup cooked or chopped vegetables	Tennis ball
		1/2 cup carrots 3/4 cup of tomato-based vegetable juice	7 baby carrots Small juice glass
Fruits Recommendation: 2 cups per day for 2000 calorie diet; adjust based on individual calorie needs.	1 medium fruit	1 medium apple, pear or orange; 1/2 banana	Tennis ball
	1/2 cup berries, or chopped or cooked fruit	1/2 cup blueberries or fruit cocktail 1/2 cup grapes	Tennis ball 15 grapes
	3/4 cup (6 ounces) fruit juice	3/4 cup of fruit juice	Small juice glass
Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta – Carbohydrate Sources (Potatoes included as starchy vegetable) Recommendation: 50-55% of total needed calories; half from whole grain sources; amount varies between individuals. (250-275 g for 2000 calorie diet)	1 slice of bread	1 slice of bread	Compact disk case
	1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal	1 oz ready-to-eat cereal	Tennis ball
	1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, pasta	1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta	Cupcake or muffin wrapper filled to rim
	3 ounce potato	1 red potato, 1/2 regular baked potato, 2-3 fingerling potatoes	Computer mouse
	1 ounce bagel	1/4 New Yorkstyle bagel	Compact disk case or 2 golf balls
	4 ounce muffin	1 small muffin or 1/3 large muffin	Cupcake or muffin wrapper size
	1 ounce waffle	Toaster waffle	1 typical toaster waffle (approx. 4-5 inch diameter.)
Fats (vegetable oils, butter, salad dressings, also sources include fish, nuts, seeds from other food groups). Recommendation: <30% of total needed calories; <10% from saturated fat; amount varies between individuals. (<66 g total fat which includes <22 g saturated for 2000 calorie diet)	Limit added   fats in diet	2 Tbsp oil, salad dressing, liquid	Ping pong ball

Sources: Recommendations: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
                 Serving Sizes: American Dietetic Association. www.eatright.org.
                 Wendy N. Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD