Northwestern Memorial Hospital Patient Education

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Managing Your Weight: Portion Control

Filling your plate with a variety of healthy food choices in the right amounts can help you
manage your weight and get the nutrients you need. It is important to make healthy food
choices from the following groups.
■ Lean protein
■ Vegetables
■ Fruits
■ Whole grains
■ Low-fat dairy
■ Heart-healthy fats

Portion control
You may want to eat healthier, but don’t know where to start. The MyPlate tool developed
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture gives you tips on portion control and how to move
toward better eating.
■ Fill a little more than 1/4 of your plate with vegetables.
■ Fill a little less than 1/4 of your plate with fruit.
■ Fill a little less than 1/4 of your plate with lean protein or beans/legumes.
■ Fill a little more than 1/4 of your plate with whole grains.
■ Include low-fat or fat-free dairy in your diet.
■ Limit healthy fats and oils to about 1 tablespoon per meal.
■ Drink water, tea or coffee. Use added sugars or sweeteners sparingly or use zero-calorie
sweetener. Avoid sugary drinks.
Measuring cups and spoons are not always
available when you are getting ready to
eat. You can also get an idea of a portion
size by comparing it to something else.
■ 1 cup = baseball
■ 1 tablespoon = thumb
■ 2 tablespoons = golf ball
■ 3 ounces = deck of cards
■ 1 teaspoon = 1 die
■ 1 ounce = 4 dice or 1 domino
■ 1/2 cup = small handful
Serving sizes of common foods
A “serving” is the amount of food recommended by resources such as MyPlate or the
Nutrition Facts label on a food item. A “portion” is the amount of a food you choose to
eat at any one time — which may be more or less than a serving.
Knowing how much of a food is a serving will help you manage your weight. The exact
number of servings to eat from each food group daily (see table) depends on your age,
sex and level of physical activity.
Keep in mind that a varied, balanced diet is the best way to make sure you are getting
the nutrients you need for good health.
Protein Foods – 5 to 6 1/2 servings Fruits – 1 1/2 to 2 servings
(amounts shown count as 1 serving) (amounts shown count as 1 serving)
• 1 ounce cooked meat, poultry or fish • 1 medium whole fruit
• 1/4 cup cooked beans, peas or lentils • 1 cup cut raw, frozen, cooked or
• 1 egg canned fruit
• 1 ounce low-fat cheese (1 slice) • 1 cup canned fruit (packed in water or
• 1/4 cup tofu natural juice, without syrup)
• 2 tablespoons hummus • 1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1/2 ounce nuts (such as 12 almonds) • 1 cup 100% fruit juice
• 1 ounce canned salmon or tuna • 1/2 cup dried fruit (limit due to higher
• 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter calorie and sugar content)
Grains – 5 to 8 servings Vegetables – 2 to 3 servings
(amounts shown count as 1 serving) (amounts shown counts as 1 serving)
• 1 regular slice whole-grain bread • 1 cup raw vegetables
• 1/2 cup cooked whole-grain pasta or rice • 1 cup cooked vegetables
• 1/4 large whole-wheat bagel • 1 cup tomato or 100% vegetable juice
• 1/2 whole-grain English muffin or bun • 2 cups raw, leafy greens
• 1 small whole-grain tortilla (7 inch) • 1 cup raw spinach, cooked
• 1/2 cup cooked cereal or oatmeal Oils – 5 to 7 teaspoons (limit; not a food
• 1 cup whole-grain, high-fiber cold cereal group) (amount of oil in common foods)
• 3 cups popped popcorn, unbuttered • 1 tablespoon oil (olive or canola)
• 5 whole-grain crackers = 3 teaspoons
Dairy – 3 servings • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise-type salad
(amounts shown count as 1 serving) dressing = 1 teaspoon
• 1 cup low-fat or nonfat milk • 2 tablespoons Italian dressing
• 1 cup low-fat, low-sugar yogurt = 2 teaspoons
• 1 cup low-sugar Greek yogurt • 1 tablespoon margarine
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk = 1 1/2 teaspoons
• 1 cup calcium-fortified soy beverage • 1/2 medium avocado = 3 teaspoons
• 1 1/2 ounces hard cheese • 8 large, ripe olives = 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese • 1 ounce peanuts = 3 teaspoons
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 cup frozen yogurt
For more information about Northwestern Medicine, please visit our website at nm.org.
Developed by: Northwestern Medicine Center for Lifestyle Medicine
© May 2020 Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
900323 (5/20) Managing Your Weight: Portion Control