2 cups will fit into your hands if they were cupped together. This should generally be the size of your total meal. 1 cup or 8 oz is equivalent to your fist. If you have large hands, your fist might equal 10 oz or slightly more than a cup. 1/2 cup or about 4 oz is the size of one cupped palm. 3 oz is about the size of your palm. 1 tablespoon is the size of the tip of your thumb. 1 teaspoon is the size of the tip of your pointer finger.
2 cups will be about the size of a softball. 1 cup or about 8 oz is the size of a baseball. 1/2 cup or about 4 oz is the size of a tennis ball. 2 tablespoons is the size of a golf ball. 1 oz is the size of 4 dice.
A quarter of the plate is reserved for protein-based foods. Another quarter of the plate should be left for starch-based foods. The remaining half of the plate should be divided between fruits and vegetables. Note that fruit shouldn’t make up a full half of the plate. At most it should be about a quarter of the plate. Vegetables, however, can be the entire half of the plate.
In general, if you’re measuring or eyeballing protein-based foods, aim for about a 3-4 oz or about a 1/2 cup portion per serving. [6] X Research source If you’re estimating this portion size, this will be one small palm full, the size of your checkbook or about the size of a deck of cards. For example, 3-4 oz of chicken, pork or fish is a serving and one and a half to two eggs is a serving. Nuts, although a protein-based food, are higher in fat and come with a smaller serving suggestion. If you’re eating nuts, measure out 1 oz of nuts per serving. In general, adults should aim for about two 3-4 oz servings of protein-based foods each day.
When you’re having a diary based food, serving sizes can vary. Measure 8 oz of liquid dairy and between 1-2 cups of other forms of dairy products. For milk and yogurt, the serving size is 1 cup. If you’re eating cottage cheese, the serving size is 2 cups. If you’re going to have cheese (like cheddar cheese), the serving size is 2 oz. [7] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U. S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source If you’re estimating these portion sizes, 1 cup of yogurt will be about the size of your fist and if you’re measuring cheese it’ll be the size of a golf ball for a piece, or the size of a CD for a slice. In general, adults should aim for about 3 cups of dairy each day. This does not include high fat dairy options, such as ice cream and butter.
Vegetables are divided into two different groups - dense vegetables and leafy green vegetables. In general, estimate 1 cup for the denser vegetables and 2 cups for those leafy green vegetables. Denser vegetables like broccoli, peppers or beans should be measured at 1 cup. However, if you’re going for salad greens like kale or romaine, you should measure out 2 cups per serving. In general, adults should aim for about 3 cups total of vegetables each day.
There are a few ways to measure fruit depending on what form it’s in. If you have a whole piece of fruit or cut fruit your portion will be a 1/2 cup. It should be about the size of a tennis ball or computer mouse. [10] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U. S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source If you’re having dried fruit, the portion is smaller. This is because the water has been evaporated out of the fruit leaving behind a higher sugar dried fruit. The portion size for dried fruit is about a 1/4 cup. This is equivalent to two golf balls or about the size of an egg. In general, adults should aim for about 2 cups of fruit each day.
In general, you only want to eat about 1 oz of grains per serving. If you’re eating foods like rice or pasta, your portion size will be about a 1/2 cup. [12] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U. S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source For example, if you’re eating pasta, you want to eat a 1/2 cup serving which will be about the size of a tennis ball. However, if it’s uncooked, you want to go by ounces instead. Other 1 oz serving examples include: 1 slice of bread, 1/2 of an English muffin, 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal or 1 cup of unsweetened cereal. In general, adults should aim for about 5-7 one oz servings of grains each day.
In general, it’s recommended to have no more than 6-7 teaspoons of fat each day. [13] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U. S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source Note that when you’re measuring or estimating the portion size of fats, the recommendations are given in tablespoons. There are 3 teaspoons per tablespoon. If you were going to drizzle olive oil over a salad, the recommended serving size is 1 tablespoon (14. 8 ml). Or if you were going to spread mayo on your sandwich, one serving of mayo would be 1 tablespoon. This is about the size of your thumb.
Packaged foods, like cereal, crackers, soup or salad dressing, will have the nutrition fact panel and ingredient list on the side of the product. This is where you will find the serving size information. [15] X Trustworthy Source EatRight. org Organization associated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics providing advice about food, health, and fitness Go to source Look at your food product and find the nutrition label. The serving size is listed at the top left of the label. The label will provide the serving size in two measurements. It might list a cup measurement, ounces or pieces. It’ll also list the serving in a gram amount as well. The label will also tell you how many servings the entire package or container contains. This is helpful if you need to eyeball a serving. For example, if a tub of yogurt says it contains 3 servings, it might be easier to just guess what a third of the tub is, rather than trying to remember what 1 cup looks like.
Studies have shown that if you eat off of a typical size dinner plate, which can be 12 inches (30. 5 cm) or even bigger, you’re more likely to overeat. It looks like there is less food on a bigger plate which makes it tempting to overeat. Even if you’re using your fist to estimate portion sizes, the extra space on the plate can trick your eyes. Instead of those typical dinner plates, use a salad plate or appetizer plate instead. They’re smaller and can make an appropriate serving of food look larger than it is.
If you have difficulty estimating correct portion sizes, try purchasing more pre-packaged or individual items. They’re already pre-portioned for your convenience. For example, instead of buying a larger container of yogurt and estimating what 1 cup looks like, purchase the individual yogurt cups. No estimating required. You could also buy pre-sliced cheese instead buying cheese in a block. They’re already sliced into the correct portion size. Note, not all pre-portioned items provide one serving. Always check the nutrition panel to see how many servings are per container. If it’s more than one, you should account for eating more than 1 serving.
If you have bowls, cups or silverware that you use on a regular basis, you can measure them ahead of time to know exactly how much these items hold. [18] X Research source For example, if you love soups, measure out your ladle. Your ladle may hold a 1/2 cup. You know that if you give yourself two ladles of soup, your total serving will be about 1 cup. [19] X Research source If you bring lunch to work on a regular basis, measure out your to-go or tupperware containers. For example, you might have a big tupperware for your lunch-time salads. Measure out how many cups of salad actually fit in there.
Most restaurants are serving portions of food that are much larger than recommended. In addition, many people are ordering an appetizer, larger entree and even dessert. This makes the overall portion size of the meal overly large as well. To help cut down on these sneaky big portions, start splitting items. If you split an entree, you’re automatically cutting down the portion size and getting closer to an appropriate serving. You can also try ordering an appetizer for your main meal as well. Appetizers are generally smaller and most likely closer to a normal portion size. You may even want to choose to order items a la carte. For example, get a side salad and order a grilled chicken breast to go on top.
