How Do Food Guide Pyramid Serving Sizes Compare With Portions Typically Reported?
Recently, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) reviewed data on quantities of some foods commonly eaten in the United States that individuals reported consuming at each eating occasion in the USDA 1989-91 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII). The table presents typical amounts of selected foods expressed in food guide serving units, that were consumed by three age groups of adult men and women. Results are similar to data on typical portion sizes obtained from a study using the USDA 1977-78 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey. Consistent with their greater calorie need, men’s portion sizes (number of food guide servings at each eating occasion) are larger than those for women; for both genders, portion sizes decrease with age, especially for foods such as meats and grain products.
