For good nutrition, we must control the size of the portion of food we eat. The more calories we need to eat, the more portions we need to eat every day. By controlling the number of portions we eat, we control the amount of calories we eat. Portion control, both portion size and number of portions we eat is what a diet is all about.
The following table is all about how many portions you should eat in a day. So from the “bread, cereal, rice, pasta, potatoes, and crackers” you would need to 6 portions a day for a 1,600 calorie diet. You then choose what foods and what amount based on the table. Adapted from the USDA Food Guides, 1992, 2002, 2011.
Of course, this is not an all inclusive list. Use your good judgement once you see what is in each category.
You need about 50-55% in carbohydrates (bread, cerals, pasta, potatoes, cookies and crackers), 25-30% fats (fats from the meat and poultry plus additional fats and oils) and 15-20% proteins (meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts). The best way to estimate this is by your plate size. 1/2 of a plate should be fruits and vegetables, 1/3 of a plate carbohydrates and the rest proteins.
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Food |
1,600 Calories |
2,200 Calories |
2,800 Calories |
3,500 Calories |
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Bread, Ceral, Rice, Pasta, Potatoes, Cookies, Crackers – Carbohydrates |
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# of Portions |
6 |
9 |
11 |
20 |
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1 Slice of Bread |
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1/2 Bun or Bagel |
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1/2 Medium Donut |
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1 Cup Ready-to-eat Ceral |
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1/2 Cup Cooked Ceral, Rice or Pasta |
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1 Cup Cooked Potatoes(plain, no fats, no oils, no milk) |
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3-4 Small Plain Crackers |
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2 Medium Cookies |
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Vegetables – Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber |
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# of Portions |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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1 Cup of Raw Leafy Vegetables |
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1/2 Cup of Cooked or Chopped Raw Vegetables (not leafy) |
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3/4 Cup of Vegetable Juice (not sweetened) |
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Fruit – Carbohydrates, Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals |
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# of Portions |
2 |
3 |
4 |
10 |
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1 Medium Apple, Banana, Orange, Pear, Peach, etc.Fresh from the tree or bush |
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1/4 cup Dried Fruit |
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1/2 Cup Chopped, Cooked, Canned Fruit (usually sweetened) |
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3/4 Cup of Fruit Juice (not Fruit Drinks which are sweetened) |
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Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, Nuts – Proteins and Fats |
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# of Portions |
5 oz |
6 oz |
7 oz |
7 oz |
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Lean Meat Poultry, Fish (in totals oz per day) |
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1/2 Cup Cooked Dry Beans |
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1 Egg |
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2 table spoons Peanut Butter or Other Nut Butter (without sweetener) |
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1/3 Cup of Nuts counts a 1 oz (low salt, no sweetener) |
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Milk, Yogurt, Cheese – Protiens, Carbohydrates, Fat |
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# of Portions |
2-3 |
2-3 |
2-3 |
5 |
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1 cup of Milk or Yogurt |
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1.5 oz of Natural Cheese (cheddar, gueryer, not processed like American or Canned) |
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2 oz of Processed Cheese (American, Canned)
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Fats, Oils and Sweets |
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Full Fat Salad Dressing, Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Butter, Margarine, Shortening, Lard, Sugars, Soft Drinks, Friut Drinks, Candy and Cakes should be limited to reduce the number of calories that are eaten without many vitamins, minerals and protiens. In other words these are high in fat and sugar and not much else. These are treats, use them sparingly. |
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