What is a Serving?

When you’re trying to optimize your health, the serving sizes and portions of your meals become extremely important.

A healthy diet focuses on both the kinds of foods that you’re eating as well as the amounts of each food group you’re consuming. You must fuel your body with nutritional food while also eating enough food to meet your daily caloric needs.

Many people know that eating foods high in protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fiber is ideal. But what people tend to struggle with is knowing what servings they should eat.

What is a Serving?

The exact size of a serving depends on the type of food in question. So, one serving of protein will look different from one serving of vegetables.

Here are the general recommendations for each food group, based on an average diet of 2,000 a day.

• Carbohydrates - 6 to 8 oz per day
• Protein - 5 to 6 oz per day
• Dairy - 3 cups
• Fruits - 1.5 to 2 cups
• Vegetables - 2 to 3 cups
• Oils - 5 to 7 teaspoons

Some examples of single servings for each food group include:

• Carbohydrates - 1 slice bread, 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta, 1 cup cereal
• Protein - 3 oz cooked lean meats, 1 egg, 1 tbsp nut butter, 1/2 oz nuts or seeds
• Dairy - 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 oz cheese
• Fruits - 1 cup fresh fruit, 1/2 cup fresh fruit juice
• Vegetables - 1 cup cooked vegetables, 2 cups leafy green vegetables, 1 cup vegetable juice

It’s important to note that the exact amount that you should eat for each serving depends on a number of factors, including:

• Your age
• Your sex
• Your weight and height
• Your body fat and muscle mass percentage
• Your metabolism
• Your activity levels