Visual aids make 'portion sense'
Confused about what a half-cup serving of vegetables looks like? The following visual cues can help you develop good "portion" sense.
| Visual Cue | Approximate Portion Size (Food* = One FGP Serving of these Food) |
 Baseball or Woman's Fist |
About 1 cup Food*: Green salad, frozen yogurt, medium piece of fruit, baked potato |
 Rounded Handful |
About 1/2 cup Food*: Cut fruit, cooked vegetables, pasta, rice |
 Large Egg or Golf Ball |
About 1/4 cup Food: Dried fruit* (e.g. raisins) |
 Cassette Tape |
About 3 oz. Food*: Meat, Poultry |
 Checkbook |
About 3 oz. Food*: Grilled Fish |
 Six Dice |
About 1 1/2 oz. Food*: Natural cheese |
Developed by the Children's Nutrition Research Center
*Equal to one serving from the Food Guide Pyramid for these foods . To learn more about the Food Guide Pyramid, see http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.html
| Cues for "Tip of the Pyramid" Foods | |
|
Rounded Handful Approximate Size: 1 oz Food: Pretzels or Snack Food |
 |
1 Die Approximate Size: 1 tsp. Food:. Margarine, spreads |
 |
Thumb Tip Approximate Size: 1 Tbsp. Food: Mayonnaise, oils, dips |
Developed by the Children's Nutrition Research Center