I've been talking a lot about counting calories and have mentioned how many servings of specific foods you need each day. But I haven't really put it all together for you yet. Well, today's that day. For an 1,800 calorie per day diet, you should have 5 servings of grains, 3-4+ servings of vegetables, 2-3+ servings of fruit, 3 servings of dairy, and 5 servings of meat/beans (or protein). Sounds like a boat load of food, doesn't it? Not really - not when you understand what constitutes a "serving size". Let me give you a hint: It's not that bowl of pasta you get at the Macaroni Grill or the Olive Garden, nor is it the pancakes that fill your plate at your local diner. I feel like a kid at show and tell, but if you bear with me, referring to the items above when instructed, you will learn how much you really should be eating....
A 3-ounce serving of meat, poultry, or fish is a "serving size" and is about the size of a deck of cards. That's nice, but who eats only 3 ounces of anything? When I cook meat or fish for my family, I count on about 6+ ounces per person, which is nice because it puts me almost halfway to the 5-servings a day requirement.
A baked potato should be the size of a computer mouse. For other vegetables, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens count as a serving size. And, no, ketchup (or glorified tomatoes as a friend calls it) does not count as a vegetable!
A serving of peanut butter should be no bigger than half (yes half) a golf ball. So check out the little Titleist in the photo, cut it in half, and put that much on your sandwich or in your celery stick and it's a serving of protein.
A serving of fruit - an apple orange, peach or other small, round fruit is the size of a baseball. (Fruit servings also include a cup of applesauce, berries, or melon, and 1/4 cup dried fruit.) Yup, dried fruit does count as fruit! That should make up for the ketchup...
As far as grains are concerned, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 cup cold cereal (preferably whole grain), 1/2 cup pasta, 1/2 cup rice, 1 slice of bread, 1/2 English muffin, a bagel the size of the coffee lid in the photo, and a flour tortilla the size of the 7" paper plate all count as a serving size. So, tell me, when is the last time an Italian restaurant chain served you 1/2 cup pasta? And pancakes? A "serving" of pancakes equals the size of that 4" CD you see overlapping the 7" plate. A muffin (oh, you're going to love this one) should be the size of the egg that is next to the computer mouse. How many coffee places or stores sell muffins the size of an egg? If you eat a typical coffee shop muffin, you've just had about 3 of your 5 servings of grains for the day.
As for milk or milk equivalents, a serving is one cup (includes yogurt and fortified soy milk), 1/3 cup shredded cheese, or 1 and 1/2 ounces of cheese. See the little dice under the baseball? 6 of those equal 1 and 1/2 ounces of cheese. Not too bad...I just cut my cheese into little dice-size pieces and eat 6 of them with my TLC crackers.
You are to limit oils and related items to 5 servings a day, with a serving of butter being 1 teaspoon, or the size of the tip of your thumb (I'm not talking Yao Ming's thumb either - just a regular, little thumb).
Well, I hope this helps put things in perspective for you - food-wise. Until we meet again, happy and healthy eating!! (Yeah, I know. It seems to get less and less happy the more you learn what you "should" be eating. It's not all that bad though. Just remember that if you are trying to lose or maintain your weight, you need to count those calories! Vary what you eat to keep it interesting and do not deprive yourself - just watch those serving sizes!).
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