Portion Size Calculator
Calculate recommended daily food group servings based on your calorie target and dietary approach.
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How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your daily calorie target (use a TDEE calculator to find this).
- 2
Select your dietary approach from the dropdown.
- 3
Read the recommended daily servings for each food group.
- 4
Use these as a guide when planning meals throughout the day.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as one serving of grains?
1 oz-equivalent of grains = 1 slice of bread, 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or oatmeal.
What counts as one serving of protein?
1 oz-equivalent of protein = 1 oz cooked meat/poultry/fish, 1 egg, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 tbsp nut butter, or ½ oz nuts/seeds.
How should I distribute these servings across meals?
A common approach is to split servings roughly evenly across 3 main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with smaller amounts at snack times.
Portion Size Calculator — Daily Food Group Servings by Diet
Understanding Food Group Servings
The USDA MyPlate guidelines divide food into five groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, protein foods, and dairy. Recommended serving amounts vary by calorie level and individual dietary needs.
How Different Diets Affect Portions
A balanced diet follows roughly equal distribution across food groups. Low-carb diets significantly reduce grains and increase protein and fat. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes vegetables, healthy fats (olive oil), and moderate grains and protein.
Portion Size vs Serving Size
A serving size is a standardized unit for measuring food (e.g., ½ cup of cooked pasta). A portion is how much you actually eat. Research shows restaurant portions are often 2–3x larger than a standard serving size, which contributes to overeating.
Learn more from an authoritative source:
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Find the best baking and cooking substitutions for common ingredients when you run out or need a dietary alternative.
Results are estimates for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional financial, medical, legal, or technical advice. Read full disclaimer →