Articles
Portion Size Estimation
Some people find it difficult to estimate food portions and
quantities, especially for foods that can’t be easily measured using standard
tools like cups or tablespoons.
Below is a guide to estimating portion sizes using everyday objects:
- 1
cup = a baseball
- 1/2
cup = a lightbulb
- 2
tablespoons = a golf ball
- 1
slice of bread = a cassette tape
- 85g
of meat or chicken = a matchbox
- 40g
of cheese = 3 dice
To make it easier, we’ll divide the foods into main groups
using the comparisons above:
Grains & Bread Group
|
Food Item |
Portion Size Equivalent |
|
1 cup cornflakes |
Baseball |
|
1 pancake |
CD |
|
1/2 cup cooked rice |
Lightbulb |
|
1/2 cup cooked pasta |
Lightbulb |
|
3 cups popcorn |
3 baseballs |
Vegetables & Fruits Group
|
Food Item |
Portion Size Equivalent |
|
1 medium fruit |
Baseball |
|
1/2 cup grapes |
16 grapes |
|
1 cup strawberries |
16 strawberries |
|
1 cup green salad |
Golf ball |
|
1 cup cooked vegetables |
Baseball |
|
1 baked or boiled potato |
Computer mouse |
Dairy & Cheese Group
|
Food Item |
Portion Size Equivalent |
|
40g of white or yellow cheese |
3 dice (matchbox size) |
|
1 cup yogurt |
Baseball |
|
1/2 cup ice cream |
Lightbulb |
Meats, Fish & Nuts Group
|
Food Item |
Portion Size Equivalent |
|
80g of meat or chicken |
Deck of cards |
|
80g of grilled fish |
Small notebook |
|
2 tablespoons hummus |
Golf ball |
|
2 tablespoons peanut butter |
Golf ball |
Fats & Oils Group
|
Food Item |
Portion Size Equivalent |
|
1 tablespoon butter |
Thumb |
|
1 tablespoon salad dressing |
Thumb |
|
1 tablespoon mayonnaise |
Thumb |
|
1 tablespoon oil |
Thumb |
Sweets Group
|
Food Item |
Portion Size Equivalent |
|
1 thin slice of cake |
Playing card |
|
1 cookie |
2 large coins |