Making Sense of
Portion Sizes
Finding it had to show others
what a “serving size” or “portion size” is? Below are some ways you can
help others with picturing what a serving size or portion size is by
referring to everyday objects. Using these everyday examples can help
you show others that they may actually be eating more servings from the
RDA “Food Pyramid” than they think!!
(Note: hands and finger sizes vary from
person to person. These are guides only)
Bread, Rice, Cereal and Pasta
1 cup of potatoes, rice or pasta ===== a
tennis ball, 1 scoop of ice crème
1 pancake ===== a compact disk (CD)
½ cup of cooked rice ======= a cupcake
wrapper full
1 piece of cornbread ======== a bar of soap
1 slice of bread ======== an audiocassette
tape
1 cup of pasta, cereal, or spaghetti
========= a fist
2 cups of cooked pasta ======== an
outstretched hand
Vegetables
1 cup of green salad ====== a baseball or a
fist
1 baked potato ====== a fist
¾ cup of tomato juice ====== a small
Styrofoam cup
½ cup of cooked broccoli ====== a scoop of
ice crème
½ cup serving ====== 6 asparagus spears, 7-8
baby carrots, or 1 ear of corn
Fruits
½ cup of grapes (about 15 grapes) ====== a
light bulb
½ cup of fresh fruit ====== 7 cotton balls
1 medium size fruit ====== a tennis ball or
fist
1 cup of cut up fruit ====== a fist
¼ cup of raisins ====== a large egg
Milk, Cheese and Yogurt
1 ½ ounces of cheese ===== a 9-volt battery
or 3 dominos
1 ounce of cheese ====== your index and
middle fingers
1 cup of ice crème ====== a baseball
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs,
and Nuts
2 tablespoon of peanut butter ====== a ping
pong ball
1 teaspoon peanut butter ====== a fingertip
1 tablespoon of peanut butter ====== a thumb
tip
3 ounces of cooked meat, fish or poultry
====== a deck of cards, or a cassette tape
3ounces grilled/baked fish ====== a
checkbook
3 ounces cooked chicken ====== a chicken
leg, thigh or breast
Fats, Oils, and Sweets
1 teaspoon of butter or margarine ====== a
stamp with the thickness of your thumb tip
2 tablespoon of salad dressing ====== a ping
pong ball
Snack Food
1 ounce of nuts or small candies ====== a
handful
1 ounce of chips or pretzels ====== 2
handfuls
½ cup of potato chips, crackers or popcorn
====== a man’s handful
1/3 cup of potato chips, crackers or popcorn
====== a woman’s handful
By High Performance Trainer Travis Gordon