Food Portions...or Servings?

Are tricky! I still struggle with my portions as my eyes change the size of my servings in this world of over-inflated meals and packaging; it's misleading and confusing. The food label is a great tool, but a serving on a package is not the same as a recommended serving size of food for an individual. Servings on food labels can vary in size, distorting the portion and referring to different amounts of calories and nutrients consumed.

For example, on a box of pasta, the serving size may be 2.5 oz = 70g = 1/3 cup dry = 1 cup cooked pasta. However, one serving size of pasta is only 1/2 cup cooked.

Here are the basics, suggested servings according the the USDA Food Pyramid:

• Meat & Beans: 2 to 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards) of cooked lean meat/poultry/fish, 1/2 cup cooked dry beans/tofu, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of nuts
  
• Grain: One slice, one ounce of cold cereal or 1/2 cup of cooked pasta/rice/hot cereal.
• Fruit: One piece of fresh medium-sized fruit, 1/2 cup of chopped/cooked/canned fruit, and 3/4 cup of fruit juice
• Dairy: One cup of milk, 2 ounces of process cheese and 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese
• Vegetables (non-starchy): 1/2 cup cooked, 3/4 cup veggie juice and 1 cup of raw leafy