Food Group Daily Calorie Goals
1,200 1,400 1,600
Vegetables* 4 or more 4 or more 5 or more
Fruits* 3 or more 4 or more 5 or more
Carbohydrates 4 5 6
Protein/Dairy 3 4 5
Fats 3 3 3
*These food groups have been modified to be "unlimited" amounts
Daily Serving Recommendations:
These serving sizes are part of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, a pyramid designed to promote weight loss and improve long term health. If you are losing weight too fast or you're too hungry, you may need to adjust your calorie level.
Using Visual Cues:
You don't need to memorize a food list or carry around measuring cups to get a better grasp on serving sizes. Instead use common visual cues to remind yourself. How? Many foods match up to everyday objects. For example, a medium pepper is about the size of a baseball and equals one vegetable serving.
While not all foods perfectly match visual cues, this method can help you better judge serving sizes and practice portion control, which may help with weight loss. If you think the serving seems small, don't panic! Remember you can eat multiple servings each day from each food group on the pyramid.
Fruits: Apples and more
One small apple is about the same size as a tennis ball and equals one fruit serving, or about 60 calories.
Fruit 1 serving size (60 calories)
Apple, sweetened 1/3 cup
Banana 1 small
Cherries 15 whole
Strawberries, whole 1-1/2 cups
100 percent fruit juice, unsweetened 1/2 cup
Vegetables: Raw spinach and more
Two cups of raw spinach are about the same size as two baseballs and equals one vegetable serving, or about 25 calories.
Vegetable 1 serving size (25 calories)
Asparagus, cooked 6 spears (1/2 cup)
Cauliflower 1 cup florets (about 8)
Green beans, canned or frozen 2/3 cup
Tomato sauce, canned 1/3 cup
Zucchini, cooked or fresh 3/4 cup
Carbohydrates: Brown rice and more
One-third cup of cooked brown rice is about the same size as a hockey puck and equals one carbohydrate serving, or about 70 calories.
Carbohydrate 1 serving (70 calories)
Bagel, whole grain 1/2 bagel (3-inch)
Bun or roll, whole-grain 1 small
Cereal, cold, flake-type 3/4 cup
Crackers, whole-wheat 8
Muffin, any flavor 1 small
Protein/dairy: Cheese and more
One and a half to two ounces of low-fat hard cheddar cheese is about the same size as three to four dice and equals one protien/dairy serving, or about 110 calories.
Protein/dairy 1 serving (110 calories)
Cheese, ricotta, part-skim 1/3 cup
Cheese spread, American 1 ounce
Milk, skim or 1% 1 cup
Soy milk, low-fat 1 cup
Yogurt, plain, unsweetened 1 cup
Protein/dairy: Hamburger and more
A 2-ounce patty of cooked lean hamburger is about the same size as two-thirds of a deck of cards and equals one protein/dairy serving, or about 110 calories.
Protein/dairy 1 serving (110 calories)
Baked beans, canned 1/2 cup
Egg 1 whole
Fish (haddock), grilled or broiled 3 ounces
Pork sausage, smoked 2 small links
Tofu, firm or silken soft 2 slices (1 inch width)
Fats: Almonds and more
It's easy to overestimate a serving of almonds and other nuts because they're so small. Just seven whole almonds (or 4 teaspoons slivered) equal one fat serving, or about 45 calories.
Fat 1 serving (45 calories)
Avocado 1/6 section of fruit
Bacon, pork 1 slice
Butter, regular 1 teaspoon
Peanut butter, chunky or smooth 1.5 teaspoons
Salad dressing, ranch, regular 2 teaspoons
Sweets
Foods in the sweet group of the pyramid include sugar-sweetened beverages, candies, cakes, cookies, pies, doughnuts, and added table sugar, among many others. The pyramid recommends that if you eat sweets, you limit them to 75 calories a day. For convenience, you can average the calories out over a week, but aim for less than 500 sweet calories a week.
Sweet 1 serving (75 calories)
Hard candy peppermints 4 pieces
Jelly beans, regular 8 pieces
Jelly beans, small 20 pieces
Maple syrup 1.5 tablespoons
Sweetened cola 6 ounces (1/2 can)
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