If you’ve ever had to guess how many daily servings of something you should be eating, you can stop guessing. The USDA has an excellent tool on their website where you choose the amount of calories you consume daily (anywhere from 1,000-3,200) and it creates a food guide pyramid specifically designed for you.
The tool is easy to follow because instead of telling you amounts in servings, they tell you how many cups or ounces. Most people overestimate what a serving size is, but by using this tool you can measure out exactly how much you should have.
For instance, if you are on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, it tells you that you should be consuming 2 cups of fruit each day. For something like dairy, where it’s not as clear cut, you are instructed to have 3 cups daily, but 1 ½ ounces of cheese counts for 1 cup.
The worksheet also allows you to track what you eat and set goals for yourself.
You can find this great tool here: http://www.mypyramid.gov/professionals/food_tracking_wksht.html
