Portions and Servings

Winter. Famine. Indian Tribe's food supplies are increasingly scarce, so serving sizes are really small.
One day, the Indian chief calls together the tribe and announces that he has some good news and some bad news to give them.
Give us the bad news first, asks the tribe.
No more food is left, says the chief. All we have is buffalo dung.
What's the good news?
No more rationing. We are increasing serving sizes.

Seriously, now... What counts as a serving?

Lynn Grieger from iVillage suggests this quiz to assess how portion savvy you are. We added a few more questions to this quiz.

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1. A serving of fruit juice is:
a) 4 fluid ounces
b) 6 fluid ounces

c) 1 cup

2. One bakery-shop bagel is how many servings of grains:
a) 4
b) 6
c) 2

3. What is the correct serving size of cooked pasta:
a) 1/2 cup
b) 1 cup
c) 2 cups

4. The serving size of raw salad greens is:
a) 1/2 cup
b) 1 cup
c) 2 cups

5. How much cheddar cheese is one serving?
a) 1 ounce
b) 1 1/2 ounces
c) 2 ounces

6. One cup of tuna is equal to how many ounces of meat?
a) 4
b) 2
c) 3

7. One egg is equal to how many ounces of meat?
a) 3
b) 2
c) 1

8. A serving of most salad dressings is:
a) 2 tablespoons
b) 2 teaspoons
c) 1 tablespoon

9. A small baked potato should weigh:
a) 6 ounces
b) 3 ounces
c) 2 ounces

10. One serving of ice cream is:
a) 1/2 cup
b) 1 cup
c) the entire carton

11. What is a serving size of fruits or vegetables?
a) 1/2 cup
b) 1 large fruit
c) the entire carton

12. Is a serving size listed on the label same as serving size in food pyramid?
a) Yes
b) Never the same
c) Not always

Answer to 1: According to the food pyramid, a serving is 6 fluid ounces, or 3/4 cup. If you're used to Weight Watchers or other exchange-type programs, 1/2 cup is a serving. Or you could read the label, but remember that individual-size bottles of fruit juices and drinks such as Snapple have grown over the past few years; one "individual" bottle usually serves 2 1/2.

Answer to 2: The old standard "one-half bagel equals one serving of grain, or one slice of bread" doesn't apply to the giant-size bagels we eat with abandon. Most bagels are now five to six servings of grains. Be honest: Would you eat three sandwiches for lunch? That's what you're doing when you have a bagel sandwich.

Answer to 3: One-half cup, or the amount you hold in one cupped hand, is one serving of pasta. Since we should aim for six or more servings of grains each day, it's okay to eat 1 cup of pasta (or two servings) at a meal. But remember, if you had a bagel for lunch, you've met your grain servings for the day with just 1/2 cup of pasta.

Answer to 4: One cup, or the amount you hold in two cupped hands.

Answer to 5: 1 ounce, or about 1 1/2 thumbs' worth, is one serving of cheese.

Answer to 6: One cup of tuna is equal to 4 ounces of meat, or slightly larger than the palm of a small woman's hand.

Answer to 7: Each egg is equal to one ounce of meat; if egg substitute is your preference, 1/4 cup is equal to one egg.

Answer to 8: Two tablespoons, or the size of a small thumb.

Answer to 9: Three ounces is considered a small baked potato, about 1/4 the size of the whoppers we're served at many restaurants.

Answer to 10: Most of us aren't satisfied until we've eaten the entire carton of ice cream, but that doesn't mean it's a "serving." One-half cup, or one ice-cream scoop, is considered a serving. If 1/2 cup of ice cream has 140 calories, then a typical bowl containing two cups of ice cream has 560 calories. How's that for a bedtime snack?

Answer to 11: For fruit and vegetables, think small, says Lynn Grieger. Instead of giant-size oranges or apples, look for smaller pieces of fruit. Here are approximate serving sizes:

Fruits

• one banana
• six strawberries
• two plums
• fifteen grapes
• one apple
• one peach
• one half cup of orange or other fruit juice

Vegetables

• five broccoli florets
• ten baby carrots
• one roma tomato
• 3/4 cup tomato juice
• half of a baked sweet potato
• one ear of corn
• four slices of an onion

Answer to 12: Serving sizes on the Nutrition Facts Label of packaged fruits and vegetables are not always the same size as the one-half cup serving size that the USDA has set for the food pyramid, says Shereen Jegtvig from about.com: for example, some frozen vegetable blends may list the serving size as 3/4 cup, which would meet one and one half of your vegetable need for the day. One serving of a fruit or vegetable juice is four ounces. V8 Fusion claims to meet one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables in one eight ounce glass. A large glass may hold about 12 ounces, which would give you three servings of fruits and vegetables. Check the label for specific serving size information, but read beyond food labels and don't always trust them, says Aurametrix. While it is very important to read all information given on the packages and be able to interpret the labels, sometimes it is more important to trust your instincts.

Healthy Foods Can Be Tasty

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What could make us eat healthy? Better self-evaluation, self-awareness and better taste.

Most marketed foods are least healthy, and so are meals served in restaurants and sold as packaged foods. Do we really like all this salt and fat or are we forced to like it?

Although the majority of Americans acknowledges importance of healthy diets, this does not always translate into behavior change. Taste, preferences acquired during childhood and adolescence, friends & family, and media have more influence on what we eat. In 1997, for example, food manufacturers spent 44.4% of their advertising budget on prepared convenience foods, confectionery and snacks, and bakery goods compared with only 2.2% on fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Besides, busy people prefer prepackaged foods and restaurant meals, which are not the healthiest choices either.Aurametrix, What could make us eat healthy?, Aug 2009

People can't imagine living without their favorite foods. But what makes foods our favorites? It takes a child about 17 attempts tasting a new food before acquiring a preference for it, says Dave Grotto, Registered Dietitian, nutrition expert and author of "101 Foods That Can Save Your Life". His approach to food focuses not on restricting quantity, but on adding healthy foods to a person's diet until he or she acquires a taste for them. Just be a little patient - you will acquire the wright tastes, achieve dietary balance and keep the ice cream, too, as says Mary Francis Hill from Canwest News.

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Why Fiber is Good for You

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Dietary Fiber - a non-nutritive bioactive food component, has been a topic of considerable interest among nutritionists and clinicians for the past 50 years.

Fiber alters the nature of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract and modifies the absorption of other nutrients and chemicals. It helps to cleanse your body and get glowing skin by removing unwanted toxins.

Intake of fiber from grains and whole-grain foods was found to protect from colorectal cancer and other lower gastrointestinal cancers. Dietary fiber can also play a role in preventing breast cancer through nonestrogen pathways among postmenopausal women.

Recently published ConsumerReports explain the health benefits of adding more fiber to the diet
An article in Washington Post lists the four ways of why fiber is so good for your health.

-- It may prevent the absorption of fat, thus helping to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

-- It slows the absorption of sugar, which might help control Type 2 diabetes.

-- It speeds waste through your gut, which helps keep you regular.

-- It fills you up, which can help you limit how much you eat.

Of course, it is not only about fiber, but other nutrients that fiber-rich foods contain - a more holistic approach can better explain the benefits of fiber. So do not look for pills but for foods labeled as "good sources" of fiber (~3g/serving), choose whole grains, munch on raw carrots or celery, eat apple, banana, carrot or other fruits or vegetables, add beans or lentils to soups and salads. Check also 8 ways to eat more fiber and more on science behind it.

Be careful with fiber if you have irritable bowel though - but this is a different story.

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