Portion
Control
What is portion control and why do we care?
Portion control is defined as the amount
of food that one chooses to consume. We care because
maintaining a healthy weight depends on intake of calories
and activity level. Without portion control, we may gain
unwanted weight.
So, how do we maintain a healthy weight using portion
control?
The new MyPyramid food guidance system represents healthy
food choices and serving sizes from each food group as
a guide to daily food choices. Following guidelines or serving
sizes will help when choosing amounts of food
we consume.
*It is important to know that portion control and serving
size are two different concepts. Portion control is
the amount of food we choose to consume and serving
size is the standard amount used to give nutritional
advice on how many calories and nutrients are in a particular
food.
In order to control our portion sizes, we need to know
standard serving sizes from the different food groups.
The following is a standard list of serving
sizes, based on MyPyramid:
| Grain Group |
Serving Size = 1
oz. |
Bagel |
1/2 of a small bagel |
Biscuit |
1 (2-in. diameter) |
Bread, white, wheat,
whole grain, rye |
one slice |
Bulgur, cooked |
1/2 c. |
Cereals, unsweetened,
ready-to-eat |
1 c. |
Crackers |
5 whole wheat
2 rye crispbreads
7 saltines |
English muffin |
1/2 muffin |
Hot dog or hamburger
bun |
1/2 bun |
Muffin |
1 (2 1/2 inch diameter) |
Oatmeal, cooked |
1/2 c.; 1 packet instant |
Pancake |
1 (4 1/2-inches across) |
Pasta, cooked |
1/2 c. |
Popcorn, popped |
3 c. |
Rice, cooked |
1/2 c. |
Tortilla, corn |
1 (6-inch round) |
Tortilla, flour |
1 (6-inch round) |
Fruit Group |
Serving size = 1
cup |
Apple |
1/2 large (3.25-in.
diameter); 1 small (2.5-in. diameter) |
Applesauce, unsweetened |
1 c. |
Banana |
1 large (8-9-in.) |
Dried fruit (raisins,
prunes, apricots) |
1/2 c. equals 1 c.
fresh fruit |
Grapefruit |
1 medium (4-in. diameter) |
Grapes, unseeded |
32 |
Plums |
2 large |
Strawberries |
8 large |
100% fruit juice |
1 c. |
Milk Group |
Serving size = 1
cup |
Skim milk |
1 c. (90 calories) |
Low-fat (1%) milk |
1 c. (100 calories) |
2 % milk |
1 c. (120 calories) |
Whole milk |
1 c. (150 calories) |
Yogurt, plain, nonfat |
1 c.; 8 oz. container |
Cheese |
1 1/2 oz. hard cheese;
1/3 c. shredded cheese;
2 oz. processed cheese (American)
2 c. cottage cheese |
Vegetable Group |
Serving Size = 1
cup |
Cooked or raw vegetables
or vegetable juice |
1 c. |
Raw vegetables (leafy
green type) |
2 c. equal 1 c. other
vegetables |
| Meat and Beans Group |
Serving Size = 1
oz. |
Meat, poultry, fish, |
1 oz. |
Eggs |
1 egg |
Nuts and seeds |
1/2 oz. (12 almonds,
24 pistachios, 7 walnut halves)
1 Tbsp. peanut butter |
Dry beans and peas |
1/4 c. cooked dry
beans (black, kidney, pinto, white)
1/4 c. cooked dry peas (chickpeas, lentils,
split peas)
1/4 c. baked beans
1/4 c. tofu
2 Tbsp. hummus |
Easy ways to estimate serving
sizes without using measuring cups or spoons:
3 ounces of meat is about the size and
thickness of a deck of playing cards
A medium apple or peach
is about the size of a tennis ball
One ounce of cheese
is about the size of four stacked dice
1/2 cup of ice
cream is about the size of a tennis ball
One cup of
mashed potatoes or broccoli is about the size of your
fist
One teaspoon of butter or peanut butter is about
the size of the tip of your thumb
One ounce of nuts
equals about one handful
|
Nutrition
Portion
Control 