What is a Serving?
The amount of food that counts as a serving is listed on the next page. If you eat a larger portion, count it as more than one serving. For example, 1/2 cup of cooked pasta counts as one serving in the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group. If you eat 1 cup of pasta, that would be two servings. If you eat a smaller portion, count it as part of a serving.
Isn't 6 to 11 servings of breads and cereals a lot?
It may sound like a lot, but it's really not. For example, a slice of bread is one serving, so a sandwich for lunch would equal two servings. A small bowl of cereal and one slice of toast for breakfast are two more servings. And it you have a cup of rice or pasta at dinner, that's two more servings. A snack of 3 or 4 small plain crackers adds yet another serving. So now you've had 7 servings. It adds up quicker than you think!
Do I need to measure servings?
No. Use servings only as a general guide. For mixed foods, do the best you can to estimate the food group servings of the main ingredients. For example, a generous serving of pizza would count in the grain group (crust), the milk group (cheese), and the vegetable group (tomato); a helping of beef stew would count in the meat group and the vegetable group. Both have some fat - fat in the cheese on the pizza and in the gravy form the stew, if it's made from meat drippings.
What if I want to lose or gain weight?
The best and simplest way to lose weight is to increase your physical
activity and reduce the fat and sugars in your diet.
But be sure to eat at least the lowest number of servings from the five
major food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid. You need them for the vitamins,
minerals, carbohydrates, and protein they provide. Just try to pick the
lowest fat choices from the food groups.
To gain weight, increase the amounts of foods you eat from all of the food
groups. If you have lost weight unexpectedly, see your doctor.
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WHAT COUNTS AS A SERVING? |
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Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta |
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1 slice of bread |
1 ounce of ready to-eat cereal |
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta |
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Vegetable |
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1 cup of raw leafy vegetables |
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw |
3/4 cup of vegetable juice |
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Fruit |
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1 medium apple, banana, orange |
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit |
3/4 cup of fruit juice |
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Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese |
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1 cup of milk or yogurt |
1-1/2 ounces of natural cheese |
2 ounces of process cheese |
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Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts |
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2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish |
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts count as 1 ounce of meat. |
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