Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating

Suggested servings in Canada's Food Guide

GRAIN PRODUCTS	VEGETABLES & FRUIT
5-12 servings per day recommended Breads, cereals, pasta, rice.	5-10 servings per day recommended Fresh, frozen, canned, or as juice.
1 slice whole grain bread or 1/2 bagel or bun 1/2 cup (125 mL) cooked pasta or brown rice 1/2 cup (125 mL) oatmeal	Heart healthy examples of a single serving: 1 medium-sized fruit or vegetable or 1/2 cup (125 mL) raw or cooked 1 cup (250 mL) dark green leafy salad Choose dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit more often.
MILK PRODUCTS	MEAT & ALTERNATIVES
2-4 servings per day recommended Milk, cheese, yogurt.	2-3 servings per day recommended Meats, fish, legumes, tofu, peanut butter.
Heart healthy examples of a single serving: 1 cup (250 mL) of 1% or skim milk 50 g or 2 slices of lower-fat cheese ¾ cup (175 g) of 1% or skim yogurt Choose lower-fat milk products more often	Heart healthy examples of a single serving: 1-3/4 - 3-1/2 oz. (50-100 g) of lean meat, poultry, fish, or tofu ½ - 1 cup (125-250 mL) of cooked beans 1-2 eggs (maximum 3-4 yolks per week) Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, as well as dried peas, beans and lentils more often.

How big is a serving?

One of the challenges to following the Food Guide is determining what makes up a serving. For example, if you eat a small plate of pasta (one cup), you might think that it is one serving of Grain Products. According to the Food Guide, however, it is two servings, since one serving of pasta equals half a cup.

As you become familiar with the Guide, you'll be able to estimate the number of servings in a meal without measuring. Here are some helpful guidelines:

A large plate of plain pasta counts as three or four servings of Grain Products.
A cup (250 mL) of cooked pasta, rice, beans, peas, or legumes is two servings.
A serving of Fruit or Vegetables is about the size of a tennis ball.
3 oz. (100g) of meat, fish, or poultry is one serving and resembles a deck of cards.
A single bagel, pita bread or bun is two servings of Grain Products.
A juice box (250 mL) equals two servings of Vegetables & Fruit.
A 1.5 oz. (50 g) piece of cheese is about the size of an adult's thumb and equals one serving of Milk Products.

Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating

Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating

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