Serving sizes summarised

large big mac value meal -
how many serves in this?

How much is a serve? How much is enough? Our perspective of appropriate portion sizes has been distorted by the quantities served up in fast food combos and on restaurant plates. When you actually look at how much food equals a single serve you may be shocked! Eating appropriate serving sizes requires 2 things,  (1) you know what a single serving size equals and (2) you have the self discipline to eat only an appropriate number of servings. After reading this only the 2nd one can be used as an excuse.

I group foods a little bit differently. The core foods of the individual groups are the same as what you would expect to find on any old food pyramid or eating guideline (for example: a grains group, a fruit group etc) but some additional groupings are made based on nutritional similarities (for example, grouping starchy vegetables with grains due to similar carbohydrate and nutrient content). I find these slightly modified food groups work better for controlling energy intake - the only downside is the initial time investment of learning which foods make up the groups. An investment that is definitely worth it.  


Grains / Starchy Vegetables / Beans (G)

• 1 thin slice of bread, 1/2 extra thick slice of bread
• 1/4 bread roll, burger bun
• 1/2 wrap, taco 
• 4 crackers
• 2/3 cup of dry cereal
• 1/2 cup of pasta, porridge
• 1/3 cup of cooked rice
• 100g or 1/2 cup of cooked starchy vegetables (approximately 1 medium sized potato)
• 100g or 1/2 cup of beans

Vegetables (Starchy & Non Starchy) / Beans (V)

• 100g or 1/2 cup of cooked starchy vegetables (approximately 1 medium sized potato) 
• 100g or 1/2 cup of cooked non starchy vegetables
• 200g or 1 cup of green leafy vegetables

Fruit (F)

• 100g of fruit  (approximately 1 medium sized piece)   
• 100g of 1 cup of chopped fruit
• 100g or 1/2 cup of stewed fruit
• 125ml or 1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice

Meat / Eggs / Beans / Nuts (M)

• 50g of meat, poultry, fish
• 1 egg
• 100g or 1/2 cup of beans 
• 50g or 1/4 cup of nuts

Dairy (D)

• 250ml or 1 cup of milk
• 200g or 1 cup of yogurt
• 40g of cheese

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many servings should I eat per day for weight loss? 

A: The recommended number of daily serves for weight loss is:

• G: 7
• V: 5
• F: 2
• M: 3
• D: 2

Q: Is it that simple, just follow the set number of serves for each food group?

A: Almost... it's not just about the quantities, the type of food is also important. There are preferred foods from each of the food groups that should make up the majority (preferably all) of the serves for the day. The preferred foods are looked at in detail in other articles. 

Q: What if I don't want to lose weight or I'm losing weight too quickly?

A: Regardless of your weight control goals eat preferred foods for the majority of your daily serves. These foods will promote better health, energy levels, training performance and recovery. You can follow the serving recommendations for weight loss above as a guide and increase serving quantities until you achieve weight control or a weight loss rate you are comfortable with.

Q: What about foods that are included in multiple food groups like beans in the  G, V and M group and starchy vegetables in the G and V group? 

A: If your main goal is weight loss count foods towards all groups it's found in. For example, if you eat 100g of beans count it as 1 serve of G and 1 serve of V and 1 serve of M. If you are not training for weight loss count foods towards any single group you like. For example, if you eat 100g of potato count it as either 1 serve of G or V.