One Serving Examples:

Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta
One serving equals 1 slice of bread; 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta, or cereal; or 1 ounce of cold cereal. All of these serving sizes are known as "ounce equivalents" in MyPyramid-speak.

As a general rule of thumb,
1 serving size/ounce equivalent of bread = plastic CD case
2 servings/ounce equivalents of cooked brown rice = a tennis ball

Vegetables
Unlike the Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta group described above, cup size matters when it comes to vegetables. That is, vegetables servings are measured in cups rather than ounces. One serving equals 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice or 1 cup of leafy raw vegetables.

1 serving size = 1/2 cup of broccoli = a light bulb
1 serving size = 1/2 cup of potato = a computer mouse

Fruits
Like the vegetable group, cup size matters here, too. One serving equals 1 cup of fruit or 100 percent fruit juice, or 1/2 cup of dried fruit. Because fruits come in so many different shapes and sizes, it's hard to say how many pieces of fruit count as a serving.

Generally, 1 serving size of whole fruit = 1 tennis ball
1 serving size of cut fruit = 7 cotton balls

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
One serving equals 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1.5 to 2 ounces of cheese, and even 1.5 cups of ice cream. Choose low-fat options from this group whenever possible.

1 serving size of cheese = 2 9-volt batteries

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
Like the Bread, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta group, serving sizes are also measured in ounce equivalents. One serving or ounce equivalent equals 1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1/4 cup dried beans, after cooking; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon of peanut butter; or 1/2 ounce of nuts or seeds.

3 servings/ounce equivalents of fish = 1 checkbook
3 servings/ounce equivalents of meat or poultry = 1 deck of cards
2 servings/ounce equivalents of peanut butter = 1 roll of 35 mm film or 1 ping-pong ball

Oils
MyPyramid.gov measures serving sizes in teaspoons.

1 serving/teaspoon of margarine and spreads = 1 dice
2 serving/teaspoons of salad dressing = 1 thumb tip

Because these oils are found in many of the foods we eat, there may not be a need to add this group to your diet. For example, half of a medium avocado or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter provide 3 and 4 teaspoons or servings of oil respectively, while also counting towards your vegetable or nuts allowance.

Remember, also, that most portions in the U.S. are oversized and contain several servings of the recommended categories. Ideally you want most of your food to be whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, low-fat calcium fortified foods (such as milk and cottage cheese), and lean sources of protein (such as fish, turkey, and chicken).

 
 

I went to see a nutritionist for the first time yesterday. My doctor advised me to see one because my last blood test said I had high levels of triglycerides & fats, which can be a side effect of one of the medications I take.

Anyway, so I have a whole new dietary plan to follow (or at least try out).

I'm supposed to eat basically no fats or sugars. I have to drink non fat milk and try low fat cheese (doesn't sound so appetizing, but whatever), and eat non fat yogurt with no sugar.

Everything I look at seems to have sugar or fat in it now that I think about it. I also have to eat a certain number of proteins, starches, vegetables, fruits. And I have to keep writing down everything I eat. I think I was eating way more than I needed to because I had no idea what a portion size was and I didn't want to be malnourished or anything. For example, 1 cup of rice is three servings of starches. One avocado is eight servings of fat.

I have to say that I'm not so convinced that meat proteins are more nutritious than beans or nuts, or that nut fat is bad for you in the same way as animal fats, but anyway.

The nutritionist said I should eat two servings of fish a week (which I think is about equivalent to a can of tuna, no mayo or no fat mayo) and eggs. I'm also supposed to drink diet sodas. She said that synthetic sugars have never been proven to cause health problems, while real sugars quite obviously do cause health problems. I still don't want to drink nutrasweet or diet sodas though. Perhaps water and occasionally non fat milk. I suppose non sweetened tea and coffee are ok. Hmm...

I'm a little skeptical about the animal protein thing - having been a vegan for four years and vegetarian for many more, but I figure I can always try it and then modify it if I decide to later.

It does look like I can still be mostly raw vegan (no cooked foods,  non-animal foods) - the main things I can eat as much as I want of are vegetables, and fruits I can eat in fairly large amounts.

I can also eat a bunch of small meals rather than just three big meals, which should help with the hypoglycemia (I get nauseous if I don't eat at certain times of day). The nutritionist said it may just be lack of protein at certain times.