About Serving Sizes and Recommendations
Each food group provides different nutrients and no single food group can supply all the nutrients our body needs. Each food group provides a unique set of nutrients and all the foods in each group have similar nutrients. For example, foods in the Milk Group provide calcium, protein and riboflavin, while foods in the vegetable group provide vitamins A and C. That's why it's important to eat from all the food groups to get the 40+ nutrients our bodies need each day.

Common Servings and Portion Sizes - What's the Difference?
Though "portion size" and "serving size" are used interchangeably, there is a difference. Knowing the difference makes it easier to compare what you eat to the MyPyramid's daily recommendations.

The USDA MyPyramid provides food group recommendations in "ounces" and "cups." Recommendations for the Grain Group and the Meat Group are provided in ounces, while recommendations for the Milk Group, Vegetable Group and Fruit Group are in cups. The serving size that is equal to an "ounce" or "cup" are provided for each food group. For example, 1 1/2 ounces of hard cheese or 8 fluid ounces of yogurt count as 1 cup from the Milk Group, and 1 slice of bread or 1/2 cup of cooked pasta counts as an ounce from the Grain Group. MyPyramid shows common serving sizes for a number of different foods within each group.

The amount we need from each Food Group depends on our age, gender and physical activity level. To find the amount that is right for you, visit "MyPyramid Plan" at www.MyPyramid.gov.

Serving sizes are also listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel of the nutrition label, along with the calorie and nutrient content for a serving. Serving sizes on food labels may be, and often are, different from MyPyramid servings. For example, the serving size for beverages is 1 cup, whether it's fruit juice, milk or soda. This allows you to use the nutrition label to compare similar foods. While the nutrition label tells us what people might typically eat, it is not a recommendation for how much we should eat. The number of servings in a package is also listed on the nutrition label. Keep in mind, many packages that look like single servings often contain two or more servings.

Portion size is the amount we eat at a meal or snack. Portion sizes can be bigger or smaller than MyPyramid serving size equivalents. Research shows that Americans are eating larger and larger portions, which may contribute to the current epidemic of overweight and obesity. For example, a typical bagel today may count as two, three or even four Grain Group servings. Considering that MyPyramid recommends 6 ounces from the Grain Group for the average American, with today's portions, it's easy to eat more than we need! Get out some measuring cups and a scale, and take some time to learn just what a MyPyramid equivalent serving is. Make a mental image, and use it to compare what your actually eat to what you need each day!