什么是一份服务?

It’s important to fuel your body properly. You may be eating plenty of food. But you may not be eating the nutrient-dense foods your body needs for good health. Nutrient-dense foods have vitamins, 矿物质, 纤维, 复合碳水化合物, lean protein and healthy fats. They also are relatively low in calories.

A 健康的饮食习惯 emphasizes certain foods and recommends a number of servings 每天. But you may have a question: Just what counts as a serving?

这是个好问题. It can be easy to consider 太 much as a single serving, especially with tasty foods we like.

A serving is a measured amount of food or drink, such as one slice of bread or one cup (eight ounces) of milk.

Here’s the breakdown of recommended servings 每天 for several kinds of foods for a 2,000-calorie diet with examples of servings sizes of foods within each group:

谷物: 每天6盎司(盎司).
食用量= ½ cup cooked rice, pasta or cooked cereal; 1 oz. dry pasta or rice; 1 slice bread; 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes.

蔬菜: 每天两杯半.
食物份量 = 1 cup equivalent of vegetables is 1 cup raw vegetable or vegetable juice, 2 cups leafy salad greens.

水果: 每天2杯.
食用量=1 cup equivalent is 1 cup fruit or ½ cup of 100% fruit juice, 比如橙汁, or 1/3 cup of a fruit juice blend.

Protein foods (meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and nuts): 5½盎司. 每天.
每份份量= 3盎司. 熟瘦肉, poultry or fish; 2 egg whites or 1 egg; ¼ cup cooked beans; 1 tablespoon peanut butter; ½ oz. 无盐坚果或种子. Note that ¼ cup cooked beans = 1 oz. protein equivalent but ½ cup cooked beans = 1 vegetable.

Fat-free or low-fat dairy foods (milk, yogurt and cheese): 每天3杯.
食物份量: 1 cup equivalent is 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1½ oz. natural (hard) cheese such as cheddar cheese.

有用的经验法则

Here are a few helpful serving size guidelines to remember:

• One cup of raw leafy vegetables or a baked potato should be about the size of a baseball or average-sized fist.
• Three ounces of 熟瘦肉 or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.
• A teaspoon of soft margarine is about the size of a postage stamp.
• One serving of fat-free or low-fat cheese is about the size of a pair of dice.

Consider setting a goal to eat healthy, nutrient-dense foods 85% of the time. You can use the remaining 15% for an occasional treat, or for times when you’re crunched for time and have to prioritize convenience over nutrition.

And here’s food for thought: Once you start eating right, it will be easier to get your loved one started on some heart-healthy, 营养的习惯, 太.