What's a Serving of Food?

When we speak of servings, how much exactly are we talking about?

• Vegetables contain 25 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate. One serving equals:
  • 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
  • 1 cup raw vegetables or salad greens
  • 1/2 cup vegetable juice
• Fat-free and very low-fat milk contains 90 calories. One serving equals:
  • 1 cup fat-free or 1 percent milk
  • 3/4 cup plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt
  • 1 cup artificially sweetened yogurt
• Very lean protein has 35 calories and 1 gram of fat. One serving equals:
  • 1 ounce turkey or chicken breast with skin removed
  • 1 ounce fish fillet, shellfish or canned tuna in water
  • 3/4 cup nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1 ounce fat-free cheese
  • 1/2 cup cooked beans
• Fruits contain 60 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates. One serving equals:
  • 1 small apple, banana, nectarine
  • 1 medium fresh peach
  • 1/2 grapefruit
  • 1 cup fresh berries or melon cubes
  • 4 ounces unsweetened juice
• Lean protein has 55 calories and 2 to 3 grams of fat. One serving equals:
  • 1 ounce dark meat chicken or turkey with skin removed
  • 1 ounce salmon, lean beef, lean roasted veal, lean roasted lamb, pork
  • tenderloin, ham, low-fat cheese or low-fat luncheon meat
• Medium fat proteins have 75 calories and 5 grams of fat. One serving equals:
  • 1 ounce beef (any prime cut), corned beef, ground beef or pork chop
  • 1 medium whole egg
  • 1 ounce mozzarella cheese
• Starches contain 80 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrate. One serving equals:
  • 1 slice bread
  • 2 slices reduced-calorie or "lite" bread
  • 1 ounce bagel
  • 1/2 English muffin or hamburger bun
  • 3/4 cup cold cereal
  • 1/3 cup cooked rice, barley, couscous or legumes
  • 1/2 cup cooked pasta, corn, sweet potato or green peas
  • 3 ounces baked sweet or white potato
  • 3/4 ounce pretzels
  • 3 cups popcorn, light and air-popped
• Fats contain 45 calories and 5 grams of fat. One serving equals:
  • 1 tsp. oil, butter, stick margarine or mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp. reduced-fat margarine or mayonnaise, salad dressing or cream cheese
  • 2 Tbsps. light cream cheese
  • one-eighth an avocado
  • 8 large black olives
  • 1 slice bacon

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