Colorado Reader: FOOD Fuels an ACTIVE LIFESTYLE! 2023-2024: Issue 1 | Page 3

What is Portion Size ?

Everybody needs different amounts of food to stay healthy , based on how old they are , if they ' re a boy or a girl , and how active they are . Food gives us energy and also vitamins and minerals to grow strong . Every kind of food has some of what our bodies need , but no one food has everything . That ' s why it ' s important to eat different kinds of food from each group . Foods that are really processed , like chips and donuts , don ' t have a lot of nutrients in them , so it ' s best to not eat them too often .
Portion size and serving size are a little different . Portion size is how much we eat at a meal , and it might be more or less than what MyPlate recommends . Serving size is shown on food labels and tells us how much of that food is in one serving . What we drink is important too . Drinks like soda have a lot of sugar and calories , which can make us gain weight and might not be good for our health or teeth .
And don ’ t forget , exercising is also important for staying healthy !
Postage stamp
Computer mouse
Directions : Complete the chart by filling in the correct MyPlate category for each food item . The completed chart may be used as a guide to help you understand proper portion sizes .
Food Item MyPlate Category Measurement Comparison Chopped vegetables ½ cup Computer mouse Fresh fruit ½ cup 7 cotton balls Raw , leafy vegetables 1 cup A baseball Cooked rice or pasta ½ cup Cup cake liner String cheese 2 oz . Tube of chapstick or lipstick Hard cheese 1 ½ oz . A 9-volt battery Meat 2-3 oz . A deck of playing cards Salad dressing 2 T . A ping pong ball Milk or Yogurt 1 cup A baseball Apple or peach 1 medium A tennis ball Ice cream ½ cup A tennis ball Mashed potatoes 1 cup A fist Butter 1 t . A postage stamp
Nuts 1 oz .
Source : https :// colorado . agclassroom . org / matrix / lesson / 379 /
Amount you can hold in one hand
Peanut butter 2 T . The size of two thumbs
9-volt battery
Tennis ball
Ping pong ball
7 cotton balls
Cup cake liner
Deck of playing cards
Above items are not pictured to scale . CoAgClassroom . org - 3