The orange wedge represents the grains group. A minimum of six ounces is recommended with half the grains coming from whole grain bread, cereals, and pastas. Examples of one ounce equivalents are a slice of bread, 1 cup dry cereal or ½ cup of cooked rice, cereal, and pasta.
- ½ cup cooked rice is a cupcake wrapper full
- 1 cup of potatoes and rice is a tennis ball
- 1 cup of pasta, spaghetti, cereal is a fist
The green wedge represents the vegetable group. The recommendation is to consume 2-2.5 cups (4-5 servings) of a variety of vegetables, emphasizing orange and dark green vegetables and peas and beans. Examples of serving sizes are ½ cup cut up or cooked vegetables and 1 cup leafy vegetables.
- 1 cup green salad is a baseball or a fist
- ½ cup cooked broccoli is a small computer mouse
- ¾ cup tomato juice is a small Styrofoam cup
The red wedge represents the fruit group. The recommendation is again to consume 2-2.5 cups (4-5 servings) of a variety of fresh, canned, frozen and dried fruis and to go easy on juices. Examples of serving sizes are 1 medium sized fruit, ½ cup fresh, frozen and canned fruits and ¼ cup dried fruits.
- 1 medium size fruit is a tennis ball or a fist
- ½ cup of grapes is a light bulb
The blue circle represents the milk group. The recommendation is to consume 3 servings of low fat or fat free milk and milk products. Example of serving sizes are 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 ½ ounces of fresh cheese and 2 ounces of processed cheese.
- 1 cup of milk is an 8-ounce carton
- 1 oz of cheese is a pair of dice
The purple wedge represents the meat and beans group. The recommendation is to eat low fat and lean meat and poultry and to vary your choices by consuming more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. The recommended allowance is 5 to 6 ounces of meat and beans.
- 2 tablespoons peanut butters is a ping pong ball
- 3 oz cooked meat is a deck of cards or the palm of a hand
The oils and fats group is not represented in the picture. The recommendation is to consume 6 – 7 teaspoons of oil/fat and limit solid fat intake.
- 1 teaspoon butter is a thumb tip
- 2 tablespoons salad dressing is a ping pong ball
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