Your Portion Size Guide Portion size is the “amount” of food that is offered. Offer age appropriate portions and let your child ask for more. Remember, your stomach is about the size of your fist. Serve one-fourth to one-third of the adult serving size, or for toddlers less than 6 years, 1 measuring Tablespoon for each year of the child’s age. Children over 6 years can eat the following serving sizes. Make sure healthy snacks are available. To meet a child’s nutritional needs, a child needs 1–2 healthy snacks a day, in addition to three meals. Do not allow grazing or snacking all day. Let your child get hungry and make sure snacks are at least 2 hours before meals.
Food Group Milk, Yogurt and Cheese 3–4 servings a day 2 to 6 years, 4 6 oz servings Older than 6 years, 4 8 oz servings
Meats, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs and Nuts 2 servings a day Serving = 11/2 oz
Sample Serving Sizes 1 cup of milk or yogurt (1⁄2 cup for young children) 11⁄2 oz of natural cheese 2 oz of processed cheese 2 to 3 oz of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish 1⁄ cup of cooked dry beans 2 or 1 egg counts as 1 oz of lean meat 2 Tbsp of peanut butter or 1⁄3 cup of nuts counts as 1 oz of meat
Foods
... is about the size of ... = = = =
a a a a
pair of dice 9-volt battery pair of dominoes baseball
low fat milk, yogurt, cheese, string cheese, cottage cheese, ice milk
1 oz 11⁄2 oz 2 oz 1 cup
lean cuts of beef, veal, pork, ham and lamb; skinless chicken and turkey; fish and shellfish; cooked beans; peanut butter; eggs; tofu; nuts and peanuts
1 oz = a small handful 3 oz = a deck of 52 cards
compliments of
Healthy eating tip: Breakfast starts the day off right with energy for the entire day. Product # C008 Copyright © 2010 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. DO NOT DUPLICATE.
Gwinnett Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (770) 995-0823 • www.gwinnettpeds.com
Your Portion Size Guide Food Group Vegetables 2-3 servings a day Serving = 1 cup
Fruits 2-3 servings a day Serving = 1 cup
Grains (bread,cereal, rice & pasta) Younger than 6 years, 4 servings a day Older than 6 years, 6 servings a day Serving = 1 oz
Sample Serving Sizes
Foods
... is about the size of ...
asparagus; bok choy; broccoli; carrots; greens; okra; peas; beans; tomatoes; zucchini; Be careful: raw vegetables can be a choking hazard.
1⁄2
1 medium apple, banana or orange 1⁄ cup of chopped, cooked 2 or canned fruit 3⁄ cup of fruit juice 4 1⁄ cup dried fruit 4
apples; bananas; berries; oranges; melons; peaches; raisins; mangos; pears; apricots; 100% juice (not sweetened) and only once a day
1⁄4
1 slice of whole grain bread 1 oz of ready-to-eat whole grain cereal 1⁄ cup of cooked cereal 2 1⁄ cup of rice or pasta 2
whole grain products (check the label) with 3 grams or more fiber per serving; breads; crackers; cereal; pasta; rice; bran muffins; pita bread; pancakes; breadsticks; pretzels
1 slice
1 cup raw, leafy vegetables 1⁄ cup raw or cooked 2 vegetables 3⁄ cup of vegetable juice 4
cup = a scoop of ice cream 3⁄4
cup
1 cup cup
= a baseball = a large egg
1⁄2
cup = a scoop of ice cream 3⁄4
cup
= a racquetball
= a CD case
1⁄2
cup = a scoop of ice cream 1 cup = a baseball 1 piece of cornbread
= 1⁄2 a bar of soap
1 pancake = a CD 1⁄2
bagel
Source: U .S. department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Copyright © 2010 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. DO NOT DUPLICATE.
= a racquetball
= a hockey puck
compliments of
Gwinnett Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (770) 995-0823 • www.gwinnettpeds.com