There’s one more piece of vital information you need to follow the pyramid, and that’s what counts as a serving. Here are some examples of one serving of each of the pyramid’s building blocks:

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta (Grains Group)—especially whole grain
1 slice bread
About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

Vegetable Group
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables—cooked or raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Fruit Group
1 medium apple, banana, orange, pear
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese (Milk Group)—preferably fat free or low fat
1 cup of milk or yogurt
11/2 ounces of natural cheese (such as Cheddar)
2 ounces of processed cheese (such as American)

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts (Meat and Beans Group)—preferably lean or low fat
2–3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1/2 cup of tofu—these count as 1ounce of lean meat

(Note: Dry beans, peas, and lentils can be counted as servings in either the meat and beans group or the vegetable group. As a vegetable, 1/2 cup of cooked, dry beans counts as one serving. As a meat substitute, 1 cup of cooked, dry beans counts as one serving—2 ounces of meat.)

21/2–ounce soy burger or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts counts as 1 ounce of meat