Serving Sizes: a visual guide

By Rebekah Shulman, Dietitian Assistant 

When’s the last time you measured out half a cup of ice cream, ate exactly 15 chips, or leveled out two tablespoons of peanut butter? You may be surprised about what a serving of these common foods actually looks like.  While using measuring utensils and counting calories isn’t necessary to maintain a healthy diet, it doesn’t hurt to be aware of the recommended serving sizes for the foods you’re eating on a daily basis, particularly if they’re calorie dense.

Below are some visual representations to think about the next time you reach for a pint of ice cream, a bag of trail mix, or a jar of peanut butter.

Peanut Butter

Serving size = 2 Tablespoons

Pasta

Serving size: ½ cup, or a tennis ball

Ice Cream

Serving size = ½ cup, or a tennis ball

*This means that there are 4 servings per pint!

Trail mix

Serving size: ¼ cup, or a golf ball, or a small handful

Almonds

Servings size: 1 oz or 24 nuts

Potato Chips

Serving size: 1 oz or 15 chips

Granola

Serving size: ¼ cup or an egg

Oreos

Serving size: 2 cookies

Salad dressing

Serving size: 2 Tablespoons

Did any of these surprise you? It’s unnecessary to obsess over exact measurements, but being mindful of your portions can help you reach your health goals. As you can see, many “healthy” foods are higher in calories, fat, and/or sugar than you may think. Furthermore, eating smaller portions leaves room for a larger variety of foods within your daily intake, which can help you reach your macro- and micro- nutrient requirements.