Morningstar Farms® - Better Eating Basics

Better Eating Basics Nutrition Basics

Balancing Your Diet

3/24/2008

Reference: Portion Sizes vs. Serving Sizes

Brought to you by Meatless Monday

Comments (10)

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The Food Pyramid helps Americans to eat a variety of foods so that we can get all the vitamins and nutrients we need.

Servings are included in the chart to help us keep the amount of food we eat (our portions) under control.

A portion is the amount of food you choose to eat. There is no standard portion size and no single right or wrong portion size.
A serving is a standard amount used to help give advice about how much to eat.

An understanding of serving sizes and how they compare to your portion sizes can help you to eat in moderation.

How Much is in a Serving?

Grains Group:

1 slice white bread
1 cup ready-to-eat cereal
½ cup ready-to-eat cereal
½ cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta
1 medium potato

Vegetable Group:

1 cup raw leafy vegetables or salad vegetables
½ cup other vegetables
½ cup cooked vegetables
¾ cup vegetable juice

Fruit Group:

1 apple, banana, orange or pear
½ cup chopped, cooked or canned fruit
¾ cup fruit juice

Dairy Group:

1 cup milk or yogurt
1 ½ ounces cheese (like Cheddar)
2 ounces processed cheese (like American)

Meat and Beans Group:

2-3 ounces cooked lean meat, poultry or fish
½ cup beans or tofu
2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1/3 cup nuts
1 egg

Portion sizes have been growing over the past 30 years – and as a result, so have Americans. In some cases, the portion of a particular food served in restaurants as a meal can surpass the amount you need in a day! For instance, a movie theatre popcorn equals 8 grain servings; a Porterhouse steak is 5 meat servings.

When you get a heaping amount of food in a restaurant, don't clean your plate. Eat a sensible portion, and take the rest to go.

How Many Servings You Need

Notice that the Food Pyramid recommends a range of servings for each food group for instance, you might need anywhere from 6 to 11 servings of grains. That's because different people have different caloric needs.

A woman who does not exercise might need only 1,600 calories a day over the course of a day, she should eat 6 servings from the grain group. A man who is physically active, however, might require 2,800 calories per day: he should eat 11 servings from the grain category.

The following chart spells out serving sizes by caloric needs:


	Children ages 2-6, women, some older adults: need 1600 calories	Older children, teen girls, active women, most men: need 2200 calories	Teen boys and active men: need 2800 calories
Grains Group	6	9	11
Vegetable Group	3	4	5
Fruit Group	2	3	4
Dairy Group**	2-3*	2-3*	2-3*
Meat and Beans Group	2, for a total of 5 ounces	2, for a total of 6 ounces	3, for a total of 7 ounces

* 9-18 year-olds and adults over 50 need 3 servings daily; others need 2 servings.

** Includes lactose-free milk products and soy-based beverages with added calcium.

*** Some foods fit into more than one group. These "cross-over" foods can be counted as servings from either one or the other group, but not both.

Take the time to get familiar with serving sizes and track your eating (or your family's eating) for one day. How does what you're eating compare with what you should be eating?

Download chart (PDF, 270 KB)

Comments (10)

Diane (4/6/2009 7:15:07 PM)

I've been a vegetarian for over 35 years and enjoying MorningStar products for as long as I can remember. My meat-eating family enjoy some of the products too, especially the sausage patties.

Cassie (3/15/2009 9:09:01 PM)

If you have a Target Greatland near you, check there. At my local Target, the MorningStar Farms products are all more than a dollar cheaper than at my supermarket! If they don't carry them, just ask at the service desk, they can probably order them for you. : - )

Laura (2/13/2009 9:47:11 AM)

I love the crumbles that Morning Star has now. I use them for fake meat sauce, tacos and chili. The only downside is how expensive they are.

dawn (1/28/2009 1:35:55 PM)

there should be more morningstar farms coupons. the stores close to me charge way too much for the products.

lindie255 (12/30/2008 10:00:42 PM)

Morning Star is another food choice.

MartySmith (9/9/2008 1:42:29 PM)

I've just started using the Morningstar meal starters. I am very impressed by the product. I have difficulty digesting meat. I've been meatless for only a couple weeks and have lost 8 pounds. .I plan on pursuing the various Morningstar soy products and who knows ... maybe a meatless diet is just what the Dr. ordered.

Bill Rabe (8/25/2008 9:50:22 PM)

I started on a veggie diet a month ago, and feel healthier for it. Morningstar makes up a large part of my diet, 75% to 80% of meatless burgers. My only concern is that the supermarkets in my area carry a limited variety.

EVE (5/31/2008 3:47:46 PM)

Brown bagging is important now because of food costs and eating the fast meal deals can add on the weight.

kimberly (5/21/2008 5:58:31 AM)

The United States Department of Agriculture offers some free reference materials that explain clearly the calories in a serving of any food. One of my favorites is bulletin # 364

Marcia (5/9/2008 10:12:28 AM)

how many ounces is a potato? How many calories are each of the above?

We hear your meatless eating questions loud and clear. In fact, we may be able to answer them right now. Check out A's to Your FAQs for responses to your most common comments, questions and concerns.