Bikini Boot Camp BLOG

One of the items I've come across in my quest to eat healthy, is to watch my portion control. Here's some information I came across in my reading that I thought would interest you. Perhaps you're one of the many who has made it your New Year's Resolution to life a healthier lifestyle, or want to get fit and lose weight. These tips will be sure to help you achieve your goals!

Examples of ONE Canada Food Guide Serving are: (from the Health Canada website)

Vegetables and Fruit:
125 mL (½ cup) fresh, frozen or canned vegetable or fruit or 100% juice
250 mL (1 cup) leafy raw vegetables or salad
1 piece of fruit

Grain Products:
1 slice (35 g) bread or ½ bagel (45 g)
½ pita (35 g) or ½ tortilla (35 g)
125 mL (½ cup) cooked rice, pasta, or couscous
30 g cold cereal or 175 mL (¾ cup) hot cereal

Milk and Alternatives:
250 mL (1 cup) milk or fortified soy beverage
175 g (¾ cup) yogurt
50 g (1 ½ oz.) cheese

Meat and Alternatives:
75 g (2 ½ oz.)/125 mL (½ cup) cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat
175 mL (¾ cup) cooked beans
2 eggs
30 mL (2 Tbsp) peanut butter


Here are some tips from the American Dietetic Association on how to recognize appropriate serving sizes: (in layman's terms)

A medium potato should be the size of a computer mouse
An average bagel should be the size of a hockey puck
A cup of fruit is the size of a baseball (not a softball)
A cup of lettuce is four leaves
Three ounces of meat is the size of a cassette tape (have you ever seen a cassette tape?, it's about the size of a deck of cards)
Three ounces of grilled fish is the size of a cheque book
One ounce of cheese is the size of four dice
One teaspoon of peanut butter equals one die
One ounce of snack foods - pretzels, etc. - equals a large handful