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| What is a Serving? |
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The amount of food that counts as a serving is listed below. If you eat a larger portion, count
it as more than one serving. For example, 1/2 cup of cooked pasta counts as one serving in
the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group. If you eat one cup of pasta, that would be two servings.
If you eat a smaller portion, count it as part of a serving.
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WHAT COUNTS AS A SERVING?
Food Groups
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Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta (6-11 servings)
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| 1 slices bread |
1 ounces ready to-eat cereal |
1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta
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| Vegetables (3-5 servings) |
| 1 cup raw leafy vegetable |
1/2 cup other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw |
3/4 cup vegetable juice |
| Fruit (2-4 servings) |
| 1 medium apple, banana, orange |
1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit |
3/4 cup of fruit juice |
| Milk, Yoghurt and Cheese (2-3 servings) |
1 cup of milk or yoghurt
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1-1/2 oz of natural cheese |
2 oz processed cheese
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| Meat and Alternatives (2-3 servings) |
| 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish |
1/2 cup of cooked beans or 1 egg counts as 1 oz meat |
2 tbsp peanut butter or 1/3 cup nuts counts as 1 oz meat |
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Isn't 6 to 11 servings of bread and cereals a lot?
It may sound like a lot, but it really isn't. For example, a small bowl of cereal and 1 slice of
bread for breakfast is two servings. A sandwich for lunch is another 2 servings. And if you have
a cup of rice or pasta at dinner, that is two more servings. A snack of 3 or 4 small plain
biscuits adds yet another serving. So now you've had 7 servings. It adds up more quickly than you
think!
Do I need to measure servings?
No. Use servings only as a general guide. For mixed foods, do the best you can to estimate the
food group servings of the main ingredients. For example, a generous serving of pizza would count
in the bread and cereal group (crust) and the milk group (cheese) and the vegetable group (tomato,
peppers, mushrooms, etc). A helping of beef stew would count in the meat group and the vegetable
group. Both have some fat - in the cheese on the pizza and in the gravy in the stew.
What if I want to lose or gain weight?
The best and simplest way to lose weight is to increase your physical activity and reduce the
fat and sugars in your diet. But be sure to eat at least the lowest number of servings from the
four major food groups in the Healthy Diet Pyramid. You need them for the vitamins, minerals,
carbohydrates, and protein they provide. Just try to pick the lowest fat choices from the food
groups.
To gain weight, increase the amounts of foods you eat from all of the food groups. If you have
lost weight unexpectedly, you should see your doctor.
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| Take A Closer Look at Fats & Added Sugar in the
next section.
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