Eating healthy portion sizes can help you to stay a healthy weight. Here are some examples of what a healthy portion size looks like for an average adult woman*.
Starches | Dairy | Protein-rich | Fruit & veg | Healthy snacks
Eat 3-4 portions a day. As with fruit and veg, starchy foods should comprise ⅓ of your daily diet. Choose wholegrain varieties where possible, eg wholemeal bread and pasta, brown rice. Here are some examples of a portion of starchy foods:
1 portion of cereal is about 3 handfuls – that’s equivalent to 40g.
Try to avoid enormous baked potatoes – ideally you want one the size of your fist.
> On the blog: are you being served … too much?
Eat 2–3 portions a day. Choose low-fat, unsweetened varieties where possible.
1 portion of cheese is about the size of two thumbs.
Choose lean meat and aim for no more than three portions of red meat a week (about 350–500g cooked meat). Eat little, if any, processed meat, eg. bacon, ham and pepperoni
1 portion of fish – both meat and dish weigh less after cooking because they lose water, around 25% of the original weight.
1 portion is equivalent to 2 eggs (120g)
Eat at least 5 portions a day. In a typical day, fruit and vegetables should comprise about ⅓ of your diet. But what does that actually mean?
This is what 150ml of fruit juice looks like in a glass. Remember, fruit or vegetable juice can only count as one of your 5 A DAY.
Try to avoid eating dried fruit out of a packet – measure it with a spoon, or even weigh it to be sure. A heaped tablespoon (30g) is not as much as you think.
Limit to 2 snacks a day, around 150 calories or less.
1 portion of nuts weighs 30g – about a handful.
2 oatcakes with a light spreading of low-fat soft cheese is 1 portion
> Download our 5 A DAY fruit and veg poster
* The number of portions you should have may vary depending on your age, gender and how active you are.