Serving Sizes for Chicken, Cereal, and Other Common Foods (2024)

No matter what kind of food you are eating, serving size matters. Even if you are eating nutrient-dense foods, it's helpful to be mindful of what you consume. This can help you eat a balanced diet with lots of variety.

For many commonly eaten foods, it is easy to consume portions that may be larger than you intend. And if you are tracking your intake of calories, fat, sodium, or sugar for weight loss or health needs, you need to know the serving size you're eating to get your nutrition facts right.

Cereal

When you last poured cereal into your bowl, you may not have measured it first or checked the Nutrition Facts label to determine its serving size.

For some cereals, one cup is the recommended serving size, and nutrition facts (number of calories, amount of sodium, and so on) are given for that amount. But the American Diabetes Association suggests consuming a 3/4 cup serving.

A 3/4 cup serving of cereal measured in grams will vary by brand and type of cereal. Some cereals are denser such as granola and those containing nuts, while flakes and crisps or other light cereals will weigh substantially less for a 3/4 cup serving size.

If you pour your cereal straight into the bowl, chances are you are eating up to twoservings. And if you refill the bowl (as many of us do), you may be eating three to four servings. Try measuring and pouring your cereal out into your most often used bowl to get an idea of how it looks and what to aim for next time without needing to always measure.

Chicken Breast

Lean protein is nutritious, but how much protein you need depends on several factors unique to you, including body size and composition, activity level, age, and more.

The recommended single portionof chicken is 3 to 4 ounces, about the size of a deck of playing cards. Some people use the palm of their hand as a guide. Depending on the vendor, some chicken breasts are two or three times the recommended serving size.

A 3-ounce serving of cooked chicken is about 85 grams or just over half a cup of chicken. For 4 ounces, it would be 133 grams or about 3/4 cup. Note that measuring chicken in cups is not very precise.

A 3-ounce serving of chicken breast contains 128 calories, 26 grams of protein, and 2.7 grams of fat. Depending on your needs, you may do best with more or less than this.

Hamburger

If you count your hamburgerpatty as one serving of beef, you might underestimate your consumed calories.

A quarter-pound burger (4 ounces) is slightly larger than the recommended serving size of 3 ounces. But many burgers, especially those served at restaurants, are 1/3 to 1/2 pound or more. You might be eating more calories and saturated fat than you expected.

Coffee Creamer

Adding flavored creamer to your morning cup of java also adds fat and calories. Fat-free varieties typically have added sugars to compensate for taste, so they still contain calories.

A single serving of liquid creamer is one tablespoon. If you are drinking more than the recommended serving (remember to count each cup of coffee!), the added sugar in your fat-free creamer starts to add up quickly.

Cooking Spray

You reduce or skip the oil or butter when you cook at home. This is an excellent way to reduce calories and fat in your meals. But if you are counting calories, you must also account for the calories in your cooking spray.

A single serving of PAM spray is the amount in a spray lasting just 1/4 of one second. A more typical three-second spray has 60 calories and 3 grams of fat.

Bread

If you pack a lunch of a lean meat and vegetable sandwich on whole-grain bread, you are likely consuming a more nutritionally balanced meal than you would if you chose to dine out.

But you may not accurately record the calories in your whole grain bread. A single serving is usually only one slice of bread, and brands can vary substantially from each other. Dense bread can contain twice as many calories as lighter, thin bread. However, thick whole grain bread often offers more nutrients, fiber, and protein, which is an excellent way to nourish, energize and fill you mid-day.

Fruit

A serving of fresh fruit is an excellent alternative to a high-fat dessert. But if you are counting your calories or watching your sugar intake, you may wish to monitor how much you are eating.

For example, if you eat a bowl of grapes, you might add one serving of grapes to your food diary. But a single serving of grapes is only one cup or 16 grapes. You can try weighing your fruit by the gram with a reliable food scale for more accurate serving sizes.

Soda

Sugary drinks are one of the easiest things to overconsume. And the calories and sugar in soda add up, even if you only drink one a day.

A serving size of co*ke is 12 ounces and has 144 calories and 39 grams of sugar. But most of us drink more than when we fill up at the soda fountain. A 7-11 Double Gulp contains 50 ounces, which is 600 calories and 162 grams of sugar.

Salad Dressing

A salad loaded with veggies is a high-fiber, nutrient-dense alternative to a high-starch, high-fat meal. But salad dressing can add calories and fat. By some estimates, many restaurant salads contain over 500 calories, most often due to the fatty dressing.

A serving size of salad dressing is just twotablespoons. If you're away from home and order your dressing on the side, be aware that you may get much more.