Getting It Right: Portion Sizes
ChooseMyPlate, the food guidance system from the United States Department of Agriculture, encourages us to eat a
variety of foods every day and gives the following general guidelines for portion sizes of each food group:
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Grains: One ounce. This would be one slice of bread, one cup of breakfast cereal or one-half cup of cooked
rice, cereal or pasta.
Vegetables: Two cups or raw, leafy greens; one cup raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice.
Fruits: One cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice or one-half cup dried fruit.
Dairy (milk foods): One cup of milk or yogurt, one and one-half ounces of hard cheese, two cups of cottage
cheese.
Protein (includes meat, poultry, fish, beans and nuts): One ounce of meat, poultry or fish, one-quarter cup of
cooked beans, one egg, one tablespoon of peanut butter, or one-half ounce of nuts.
Check out the chart below for even more helpful hints.
The Secret to Portion Size Is in Your Hand!
A fist or cupped hand = 1 cup
One serving = 1 cup breakfast cereal
OR 1 cup raw, leafy veggies
OR 1 cup milk or fruit juice.
A thumb = 1 oz. cheese
Low-fat dairy products are the
smartest choice.
Handful = 1 to 2 oz. snack food
Snacking can add up!
1 handful = 1 oz. nuts or candies.
2 handfuls = 1 oz. chips or pretzels.
Palm = 3 oz. meat
One palm-size portion equals 3 oz. of
lean poultry, fish or meat.
Thumb tip = 1 teaspoon
Keep high-fat foods at a minimum by
measuring the serving with your thumb.
1 tennis ball = 1 serving of fruit
Healthy diets include
fruit every day.
Because hand sizes vary, compare your fist size to an actual measuring cup.
For more information, visit www.choosemyplate.gov or contact Guilford County Department of Public Health at
641-7777 or www.guilfordhealth.org
PEC APP 06/07 Rev 6/11