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What is a standard serve? When nutritionists talk about a "serve of vegetables", exactly how much do they mean? Is it a cup or a couple of spoonfuls? Check out the official list of standard serves from the 2013 edition of the Five Food Groups as published in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating so you know how much is meant.
Vegetables and legumes/beans
One serve means:
- ½ cup (75g) cooked green vegetables (broccoli, green beans, peas etc)
- ½ cup (75g) cooked orange vegetables (carrots, pumpkin)
- 1 cup (35-40g) raw green leafy vegetables or salad greens
- ½ cup (75g) cooked dried or canned beans, chickpeas or lentils, no added salt
- 75g starchy vegetables eg 1 small or ½ medium potato, or equivalent of sweet potato, taro, sweet corn or cassava
- 75g other vegetables eg 1 small-medium tomato
Fruit
One serve means:
- 1 piece (150g) of medium-sized fruit eg apple, banana, orange, pear
- 2 pieces (150g) of small fruit eg apricots, kiwifruit, plums
- 1 cup (150g) diced, cooked or canned fruit, no added sugar
- ½ cup (125ml) 100% fruit juice - only occasionally
- 30g dried fruit eg 1½ tablespoons sultanas or 4 dried apricot halves - only occasionally
Grains (cereal) foods, mostly whole grain
One serve means:
- 1 slice bread or ½ bread roll or flat bread (about 40g)
- ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, noodles
- ½ cup cooked porridge or polenta
- 2/3 cup (30g) breakfast cereal flakes
- ¼ cup (30g) muesli
- 3 crispbread
- 1 crumpet (60g) or 1 small English muffin or scone (35g)
- ½ cup cooked barley, buckwheat, semolina, cornmeal, quinoa
- ¼ cup flour
Lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
One serve means:
- 65g cooked lean red meats or about 90-100g raw weight eg beef, lamb, pork, venison, kangaroo such as:
- ½ cup lean mince
- 2 slices roast meat
- 2 small chops
- 80g cooked poultry eg chicken, turkey (about 100g raw weight)
- 100g cooked fish fillet (about 115g raw weight)
- 1 small can tuna or salmon, no added salt, not in brine
- 2 large eggs (120g)
OR Vegetarian protein alternatives
- 1 cup (150g) cooked beans, lentils, chick peas, split peas or canned beans
- 170g tofu
- Handful (30g) nuts or seeds or nut/seed paste, no added salt
Milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives
One serve means:
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk, fresh, UHT or reconstituted dried
- ½ cup (125ml) evaporated unsweetened milk
- 1 carton or 3/4 cup (200g) yoghurt
- 2 slices cheese or 40g block or wedge 4x3x2cm of hard cheese eg cheddar
- 1/2 cup (120g) ricotta
Fats and oils
The AGHE includes a small daily allowance of 7-10 grams of "unsaturated spreads, oils, nuts and/or seeds" but doesn't create a separate group for these. It says to use these in small amounts.
Source: Australian Guide to Healthy Eating 2013 Educator edition. National Health and Medical Research Council: Canberra, 2013. Or go to Eat for Health website.
Downloads / Fact Sheets
Download "Portion caution", my free colour fact sheet showing how portion sizes have gradually increased over the past 10 years and how these are a major contributor to the obesity problem.
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