What’s your serving size?

We are reminded to ‘eat right’ and to have a ‘balanced diet’. Mhmmm…

But what does that really mean? I can have chocolate fudge cake each and everyday bar none; that seems pretty ‘balanced’ to me, and ‘they’ always say consistency is the key, so double kudos I say. Definitely sounds like a plan that I can follow. 

So here’s what our friends over at Health Canada had to say about ‘balanced diet’ and food serving sizes.

Recommended Number of Food Guide Servings per Day

 Interesting…

While serving sizes are standard, the number of servings recommended for an individual will vary depending on his/her:
~ Age
~ Sex
~ Physical activity
~ Lifestyle for example

Some examples of what a ‘serving size’ of each of the food groups looks like:

Veges and Fruits

- Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables – 125ml (1/2 cup)
- Leafy vegetables
Cooked: 125 ml (1/2)
Raw: 250ml (1 cup)
- Fresh, frozen or canned fruits: 1 fruit or 125ml (1/2 cup) 
- 100% Juice: 125ml (1/2 cup) - Juice cocktail and fruit ‘drinks’ don’t count

• Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day
  • - Go for dark green veges such as broccoli, romaine lettuce and spinach
  • - Go for orange veges such as carrots, sweet potatoes and winter squash

•  Choose veges that fruit prepared with little or no added fat, sugar or salt
  • - Enjoy veges steamed, baked or stir-fried instead of deep-fried

• Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice 

Grain Products

- Bread: 1 slice (35g)
- Bagel:  1/2 bagel (45g)
- Flat breads: 1/2 pita or 1/2 tortilla
- Cooked rice, bulgur or quinoa: 125ml (1/2 cup)
- Cereal
-  Cold: 30g
- Hot: 175ml (3/4 cup)
- Cooked pasta or couscous: 125ml (1/2 cup)  

  Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day

- Eat a variety of whole grains such as barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa and wild rice
- Enjoy whole grain breads, oatmeal or whole wheat pasta – (not so bad once you try it the whole wheat pasta).

Choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar or salt.

- Compare the Nutrition Facts on labels to make wise choice

- Enjoy the true taste of grain products. When adding sauces or spreads, use small amounts. 

Milk and Alternatives

- Milk or powdered milk (reconsituted): 250ml (1 cup)
- Canned milk (evaporated): 125ml (1/2 cup)
- Fortified soy beverage: 250ml (1cup)
- Yogurt: 175 g (3/4 cup)
- Kefir: 175 g (3/4 cup)
- Cheese: 50 g (1.5 oz.) – about the size of your thumb! 

• Drink skim, 1%, or 2% milk every day
  • - Have 500ml (2 cups) of milk everyday for adequate Vitamin D
  • - Drink fortified soy beverages if you do not drink milk 

• Select lower fat milk alternatives
  • - Compare the Nutrition Facts table on yogurts or cheeses to make wise choices

*** A disclaimer on this one where it comes to the low fat business. In my experience ‘low fat’ usually means ‘more sugar’ as fat usually is where the flavour is (MMMMmmmmmmmm!). This for me is a bigger issue because sugar is calorie laden and converts itself into fat so, I usually compare the sugar content and go with whichever is lower, usually the one with the higher fat content. A personal decision so you can decide which is more important to you***

Meat & Alternatives

Cooked fish, shellfish, poultry, lean meat: 75 g (2.5 oz)/  125ml (1/2 cup)
Cooked legumes: 175ml (3/4 cup)
Tofu: 150 g or 175ml(3/4 cup)
Eggs: 2 eggs
Peanut or nut butters: 30ml (2 tbsp)
Shelled nuts and seeds: 60ml (1/4 cup)

• Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often

• Eat at least two Food Guide Servings of fish each week (do be careful and limit your exposure to mercury from certain types of fish)
  • - Choose fish such as char, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and trout

Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt

• - Trim the visible fat from meats. Remove the skin on poultry
• - Use cooking methods such as roasting, baking or poaching that require little or no added fat
• - If you eat luncheon meats, sausages, or prepackaged, chose those lower in sodium (sodium) and fat. 

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