Portion Sizes

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta

• 1 slice of bread
• ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
• 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal

Vegetables

• ½ cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables
• ½ cup vegetable juice
• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables

Fruits

• 1 small whole fruit
• ½ cup fruit juice
• ½ cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry beans, Eggs and Nuts

• 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish.
  Eating one of these foods counts as eating 1 ounce of meat:
  • ¼ cup of cooked dry beans
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
  • ½ oz. of nuts and seeds

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese

• 1 cup milk
• 1 ½ to 2 ounces of cheese
• 1 cup yogurt

Note: Preschool children need the same variety but may eat smaller portions.

Reprinted with permission from How to Use Commodities Illinois Department of Human Services.