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What counts as a serving?

Children (ages 2 to 6), women, some older adults(1,600 calories)

Older children, teen girls, active women, most men (2,200 calories)

Grains Group (Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta) especially whole grain

1 serving =

• slice of bread
• ½ Cup (C.) cooked grains, pasta, rice, etc.
  1 C. of most cold cereal
• ¼ C. low fat granola, Grape Nuts, Muesli
• ½ C. hot cereal
• 3-4 C. low fat microwave popcorn
• ½ large flour tortilla
• 6 saltine crackers/whole what crackers
• ½ hamburger roll or small bagel
• ¼ of a large muffin or bagel
• ½ 6" pita

6 servings

9 servings

Vegetable Group

1 serving =

• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables

• ½ cup of other vegetables (corn, peas, sweet potatoes), cooked or raw

• ¾ cup of vegetable juice

• 1 small (3 oz) baked potato

3 servings

4 servings

Fruit Group

1 serving =

• 1 medium apple, banana, orange, pear

• ½ piece of large fruit (e.g., banana, grapefruit)

• ½ cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit

• ¾ cup of fruit juice (unsweetened)

• 1 cup mixed berries, cherries or cubed cantaloupe  

2 servings

3 servings

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group - preferably fat free or low fat

1 serving =

• 8 oz., or 1 cup of milk** or yogurt

• 2 ounces of natural cheese (such as Cheddar)

• 2 ounces of processed cheese (such as American)

• ½ C. cottage cheese, low fat

• 1-1/2 oz. hard cheese; lower-fat

2 or 3* servings

2 or 3* servings

Meat and Beans Group (Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts) preferably lean or low fat

1 serving =

• 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.
  These count as 1 ounce of meat:

• ½ cup of cooked dry beans (lima, kidney, black. split beans, lentils) or tofu

• 2 ½ ounce soy burger

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

• 1/3 cup of nuts

2 servings, for a total of 5 ounces

2 servings, for a total of 6 ounces