The foundation of healthy eating habits is knowing and following portion sizes for the foods we are consuming. Understanding serving sizes is crucial! Even healthy foods can contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess.

For example, consuming more than a cup serving of brown rice with your meal to rather than a ½ cups of brown rice with your meal. Brown rice is a whole grain carbohydrate that will provide you with energy, fiber, some protein, vitamins and minerals; however, when we eat rice in excess, we do not burn off all the energy it provides and end of storing the excess energy in our liver and muscles leading to weight gain. Some individuals will also experience an increase in blood sugar levels with the excess carbohydrate intake.

Before serving an item on your plate, check the Nutrition Fact Label for the serving size of processed foods or use the list below for recommended serving sizes.

Vegetables and Fruit: at least 3 servings of vegetables daily

* Examples of vegetable servings:

* 2 cups raw leafy salad greens

* 1 cup cut-up raw vegetables

* ½ cup cooked vegetables

Fruits: 2 servings of fruit daily

* Examples of fruit servings:

* One medium whole fruit or baseball size fruit

* 1 cup cut-up melon

* ½ cup berries

 

Grains (Whole grain rather than refined grain products): 3 to 6 servings of grains daily

* At least half of total grains should be whole grains (brown grains)

* Examples of one serving of grains: 

    * One slice whole-grain bread

    * One 6-8 inch tortilla

    * 1 ounce (1 cup) ready-to-eat cereal flakes (unsweetened)

    * ½ cup cooked brown rice, pasta or hot cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat

    * 3 cups popped popcorn (not buttered)

 

Dairy (Low-fat 1% and fat-free): 3 servings daily (if tolerated)

* Examples of one dairy serving:

* 1 cup milk

* 1 cup yogurt

* 1½ ounces hard cheese 

 

Protein Foods:

* 2 to 3 servings of protein daily

* 5 ounces per week of nuts, seeds, beans, peas or lentils

* 6 to 8 ounces per week of seafood, preferably oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, cobia, striped bass, herring or sardines

* Examples of one protein servings:

* ½ cup cooked beans, peas or lentils

* ½ cup or 4 ounces tofu

* ½ ounce nuts or seeds or 1 tablespoon peanut butter

* 3-ounce cooked seafood, meat or poultry

* One whole egg or two egg whites 

 

Fats and Oil: Two to three servings of fat or oil per day (or 9 teaspoons)

* Opt for unsaturated plant oils and minimize/avoid animal fats (lard and butter) or partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats).

* Examples of one serving fats and oil:

* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (such as canola, corn, olive, safflower, avocado, peanut)

* 1 teaspoon soft margarine

* 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise

* 2 tablespoons light salad dressing