Know about serving and portion size
What exactly is serving size and how it is different from portion size?
A “serving size” is a standard amount of food such as a cup or 1tbsp. It is used to quantify recommended amounts that help you choose food items and compare its nutrition benefits while buying. Serving size will not recommend how much you should consume the particular food item.
Portion typically stands for how much of a food you are served. A portion size may vary from meal to meal and place to place. For example, at home you may serve yourself two small chapati in one portion but, when going for dine out, you may get two large and thick chapati in one portion. Since portion size may be bigger than serving size so the nutrients content too vary.
Serving size
| 1 Tablespoon | 15 |
| 1/2 Tablespoon | 7.5 |
| 1 Teaspoon | 5 |
| 1/2 Teaspoon | 2.5 |
| 1 cup
½ cup ¼ cup |
16 tbsp or 240 gm
8 tbsp or 120 gms 4 tbsp or 60 gm |
Standard serving for different food groups
Milk and yogurt
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup low-fat yogurt (unsweetened)
Cereals and starch
(1 serving of a food with carbohydrate has about 15 grams of carbohydrate)
1/2 cup cooked cereal, pasta, or bulgur
1/3 cup cooked rice
2 thin chapati
1 slice of bread
1/2 English muffin, bun, small bagel, or pita bread
1 6-inch tortilla
4-6 crackers
1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal
1 small potato or 1/2 large potato
1/2 cup sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 cup corn kernels or other starchy vegetables such as winter squash, peas, or lima beans
Fruits
(100 gms of fruits in 1 serving)
1/2 banana
1 small apple, orange, or pear
1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
Vegetables
1 cup raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup other vegetables cooked, raw (chopped), or canned
1/2 cup vegetable juice
Dry beans, cheese, nuts, poultry, fish and meat
1/2 cup cooked dry beans
1/4 cup tofu
2-3 ounces low-fat natural cheese (such as Swiss, cheddar, Muenster, parmesan, mozzarella)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 ounces processed cheese (American)
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup canned tuna (packed in water)
2-3 ounces cooked lean beef, veal, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, or fish