The amount of food offered to a person influences how much he or she eats; and, in general, more calories are consumed when a large portion is served rather than a small one. One longitudinal study among children reported a positive relationship between portion size and body weight. Several other observational studies have reported that an increase in portion size coincides with the rise in obesity in the United States over the past decades.

People’s perception of how much they eat can be quite different from what they actually do eat. According to a study, adults underestimate their servings of grains, fats, oils, and sweets, and they overestimate their consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products. The difference between what people thought they ate and what they actually ate may be due to their limited knowledge of how to estimate what a serving is.

Food portions have been increasing. If you order a meal from a restaurant, chances are the portion that they give you is probably much more than one MyPyramid serving and more than what you actually even need to be eating.

Recommended Servings

The adult meal plan in this slide is based on a 35 year old woman who is active 30-60 minutes per day, and it also includes 6 teaspoons of oil. The meal plan for a child is based on a 10 year old female who is active 30-60 minutes per day, and it also includes 5 teaspoons of oil.

Based on an adult’s 2000 calorie diet

Based on an child’s 1800 calorie diet

Use MyPyramid’s recommendations which are based on age, gender and physical activity level to determine the number of servings you eat.

Grain Group:

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
• ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

At least half of your grains should be WHOLE grains. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients on a food label. Foods that are made from whole grains contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals. Whole grains protect against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, and they help to control weight.

Vegetable Group:
Different vegetables have different types and amounts of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber. Eat a variety of vegetables to get the most benefits. The amount listed is considered one serving.

• 2 cups of raw leafy vegetables (cooks down to about 1 cup)
• 1 cup of cooked or chopped raw vegetables
• 1 cup of vegetable juice

Choose dark green leafy greens such as kale, collards, and spinach because they are richer in nutrients than light colored greens.

Fruit Group:

Fruits contain valuable nutrients including vitamins (especially A and C), minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber. Eat a variety of fruits—whether fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. The amount listed is considered one serving.

• 1 medium apple, banana or orange
• 1 cup of sliced, cooked, or canned fruit
• 1 cup of fruit juice

A medium fruit such as an orange, apple, pear, or avocado is about the size of a baseball. There is a difference between fruit juices and fruit drinks or punches. Look for juices that are 100% fruit. If the first ingredient on the food label is sugar or juice concentrate, it is a fruit drink or punch. Orange drinks are not the same as orange juice! The American Pediatric Association recommends limiting juice intake to 6 ounces per day for adults and children age 4 and over, and 4 ounces for children 1 to 3 years old.

Dairy Group:

Dairy foods are a great source of bone building calcium, vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals. Get 3 cups of low fat or fat-free milk or yogurt every day. If you cannot consume enough yogurt or milk, choose fat-free or low-fat cheeses. The amount listed is considered one serving.

• 1 cup of milk or yogurt
• 1 ½ ounces of natural cheese
• 2 ounces of processed cheese

If you are unable to tolerate dairy foods, there are other ways to get calcium in your diet. Try dairy foods that are lactose free (such as Lactaid milk) or take a Lactaid pill before eating dairy foods. Also, choose orange juices, fruit juices, cereals, and other foods that have been fortified with calcium. Among vegetables, broccoli, collard greens, and kale are good sources of calcium. You should also choose fat free or low-fat dairy foods instead of whole milk products.

Meat and Protein Group:

2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish can be considered as an average serving. Go lean with protein. Protein helps to build and maintain healthy muscles and connective tissue, curb hunger, and it is essential to many key functions in the body. Choose lean meats and poultry. Lean cuts of meat include the words loin or round, such as sirloin, ground round, and eye of round.

Vary your protein choices—with beans, nuts, and seeds. Serving sizes of beans, eggs, nuts, and seeds are determined according to ounce equivalents. In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or & ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the meat and beans group.

MyPyramid recommends 5 to 6 ½ ounces of foods from the Meat & Other Protein group depending on a persons age, gender and activity level. Example: If a person eats a 3 ounce steak, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons peanut butter, (s)he has eaten 6 ounces from the Meat & Other Protein group.

Fats, Oils and Sweets

These foods are high in fat and/or sugar and can lead to weight gain and certain health conditions. There are no recommended amounts of servings of sweets, and fats like butter or margarine; but it is advised to use them sparingly.

Some oils are more healthful than others. For example, canola and olive oil contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. It is advised that most of fats in the diet should come from vegetable oils, fish, nuts and seeds rather than solid fats like stick margarine, shortening or lard. However, even the vegetable oils are still high in calories, so they should be consumed in moderation. One teaspoon of oil or solid fat counts as one serving.

Choose soft or liquid butters over hard butters or hard margarines. Hard margarines contain trans fatty acids which are a type of fat. Trans fats have negative effects on heart health; they can increase total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease HDL (good) cholesterol, leading to increased risk of heart disease. Hard butters contain saturated fat which can increase total and LDL cholesterol and lead to heart disease. The soft or liquid varieties are less likely to raise total and LDL cholesterol. Choose butters and margarines that are low-fat and trans fat-free.

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