Serving sizes for the food guide pyramid

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Serving sizes for the food guide pyramid

Serving size can be confusing. Many people think that a serving of a food is what is put on their plate or what they order in a restaurant. But what you see as a serving is often much larger than a serving according to the food guide pyramid . Because of this, it is easy to eat more than recommended.

Following is what constitutes a food pyramid serving for some foods.

**Food pyramid servings**
Food		Food pyramid serving	What it looks like
Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta	Bread	1 slice []	--
	Dry cereal		--
	Cooked cereal, pasta, rice, or other grain	1/2 cup []	1/2 of a small fist or an ice cream scoop
Vegetables	Leafy, raw vegetables	1 cup	4 lettuce leaves
	Cooked, chopped, or raw nonleafy vegetables	1/2 cup	Tight fist or an ice cream scoop
	Vegetable juice	3/4 cup []	Small Styrofoam cup
Fruit	Chopped, cooked, or canned fruit	1/2 cup	1/2 of a baseball
	Apple, banana, or orange	1 medium piece	--
	Fruit juice	3/4 cup []	Small Styrofoam cup
	Dried fruit	1/4 cup	Large egg
Milk, yogurt, and cheese	Milk or yogurt	1 cup []	Baseball
	Natural cheese		6 stacked dice
	Processed cheese		8 stacked dice
Meat, poultry, fish, tofu, dry beans, eggs, and nuts Note: The amount of beans, tofu, eggs, peanut butter, and nuts specified here is equivalent to of lean meat.	Meat, poultry, or fish	to	Deck of cards (3 oz)
	Cooked dry beans	1/4 cup	Large egg
	Tofu	1/4 cup	Large egg
	Eggs	1 egg	--
	Peanut butter	1 Tbsp	1 thumb
	Nuts	1/2 oz	1/2 golf ball

Credits

Author	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Pat Truman
Primary Medical Reviewer	Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Rhonda O'Brien, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator
Last Updated	February 23, 2007

Last updated:	February 23, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition, Rhonda O'Brien, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman

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