Tackling the Pyramid

It's worth knowing the look of a standard serving when you plan a day's meals. A 1 1/2-cup serving of pasta won't seem so small if you know it's 1/3 of your day's bread allowance; getting the children to have three fruit servings is easy if you know that a serving is only 12 grapes or 1/2 cup of cut-up fruit.

Make a family game of learning the standard servings. Start by having the kids measure out 1/2 cup of cooked rice or 1/4 cup of raisins. Actually weigh their chicken nuggets and hot dogs. Have them spread 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on crackers and pour 3/4 cup of juice into a glass.

Then try to think of what a portion looks like. Here are a few comparisons to help get you started.

WHAT A PORTION LOOKS LIKE
1/2 cup cooked pasta	ice-cream scoop
1 oz. bread	CD case
1 medium fruit	your fist; tennis ball
1 oz. cheese	pair of dice; your thumb
3 oz. meat, fish or poultry	cassette tape; deck of cards
2 tbsp. peanut butter	Ping-Pong ball
2 tbsp. salad dressing	ice cube