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| What is a Serving? |
The amount of food that counts as a serving is listed below. If you eat a larger portion, count it
as more than one serving. For example, one small bowl of cooked rice counts as one serving in the
Rice and Alternatives group. If you eat one plate of rice, that would be two servings. If you eat
a smaller portion, count it as part of a serving.
WHAT COUNTS AS A SERVING?
Food Groups
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Rice and Alternatives (5-7 servings)
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2 slices bread
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2 ounces ready to-eat cereal
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1 bowl cooked rice or noodles
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Vegetables (2 servings)
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1 cup cooked leafy vegetables
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1/2 cup non-leafy vegetables, cooked
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3/4 cup vegetable juice
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Fruit (2 servings)
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1 medium apple, banana, orange
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1/2 cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
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1/2 cup fruit juice
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Meat and Alternatives (2-3 servings)
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2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
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1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 6 medium fishballs.
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2 small squares beancurd
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Isn't 5 to 7 servings of Rice and Alternatives a lot?
It may sound like a lot, but it's really not. For example, a bowl of cereal or 2 slices of bread for
breakfast is one serving. A bowl of porridge or 2 small chapati is one serving, so if you had either
for lunch that would equal another serving. And if you have a plate of rice or noodles at dinner,
that is two more servings. A snack of 3 or 4 small plain biscuits adds yet another serving. So now
you've had 5 servings. It adds up quicker than you think!
Do I need to measure servings?
No. Use servings only as a general guide. For mixed foods, do the best you can to estimate the food
group servings of the main ingredients. For example, a plate of chicken rice would count in the Rice
& Alternatives group (rice) and the Meat & Alternatives group (chicken). If you get a side
dish of vegetable, it would count in the Vegetable group. A helping of Chinese rojak would count in
the Fruit group and the Vegetable group. Both have some fat - in the flavoured chicken rice and in
the deep-fried chinese donut (you tiao) and peanut paste in the rojak.
What if I want to lose or gain weight?
The best and simplest way to lose weight is to increase your physical activity
and reduce the fat and sugars in your diet.
But be sure to eat at least the lowest number of servings from the four major
food groups in the Healthy Diet Pyramid. You need them for the vitamins, minerals,
carbohydrates, and protein they provide. Just try to pick the lowest fat choices
from the food groups.
To gain weight, increase the amounts of foods you eat from all of the food groups.
If you have lost weight unexpectedly, you should see your doctor.
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Take A Closer Look at Fats & Added Sugar in the
next section.
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