Know What a Recommended Food Serving Size Looks Like?
Jodi Davis
| 2 min read
Have you ever been served a plate of food at a fancy restaurant and wonder why the servings seem so tiny? I’m sure we’ve all experienced this before and concluded that we’re definitely going to walk away hungry. But the thing is, the serving sizes of the food on that plate are often actual recommended serving sizes… which often differ from the serving sizes we have become accustomed to.
The actual serving size is much smaller than what most of us serve ourselves. Have you ever stopped to consider that these larger-than-recommended serving sizesthat we consume on a daily basis can add up BIG TIME? Remembering that we consume 21 meals per week for 52 weeks per year. Do the math and discover how it adds up to thousands of excess calories annually.
Below are the recommended single serving sizes of common foods courtesy of BlueCross BlueShield of Nebraska:
Size of a Computer Mouse
½ cup cooked vegetables
1/2 cup cooked pasta
½ cup beans
1 small baked potato
1/2 cup cooked pasta
½ cup beans
1 small baked potato
Size of a Tennis Ball
1 cup milk
4-6 ounces yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh greens or raw vegetables
4-6 ounces yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh greens or raw vegetables
Size of Your Fist
½ cup fresh fruit
½ cup pasta
½ cup rice
½ cup pasta
½ cup rice
Size of a Hockey Puck
1 small bagel
Size of a CD
1 small pancake
Size of 4 Dice or 2 Dominos
1 ounce of cheese
Size of a Ping Pong Ball
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
Size of One Large Handful
1 ounce of snack foods, such as chips or pretzels
Size of Deck of Cards or Palm of Hand
2-3 ounce of meat / poultry
Size of Your Checkbook
3 ounces of grilled fish
Do you have questions about serving sizes? I’m hoping you can find the answers you are looking for here or from the American Dietetic Association. There is also helpful information on the MyPlate website.
Photo by Urban Woodswalker.
