We know how hard it is to ensure you and your family are enjoying a healthy lifestyle that includes whole grains. Every Tuesday we will release a #TrainWithGrainsTip that will help you include whole grains into your healthy lifestyle.

Our tip this week is:

Tip #14

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “everything in moderation”. Moderation is the balance between deprivation and overindulgence especially when it comes to food consumption.

Eating good food can be a part of a healthy lifestyle as along as it is done in moderation. And part of knowing that balance is knowing what ideal servings sizes look like. Canada’s Food Guide recommends 6-7 grain servings for the average adult. But, what is a serving of grain?

Well  that depends on the grain and/or grain product:

Keep in mind that a “serving” in Canada’s Food Guide is a reference amount of food. One slice of bread (weighing 35g) is considered one Grain Product serving in Canada’s Food Guide, so if you eat a sandwich with two slices of bread at lunch, those two slices would count as two “servings” of grain products. Let’s look at pasta as another example. One serving according to Canada’s Food Guide is a half cup of cooked pasta. If you enjoy 1 and a half cups of cooked pasta at home or in a restaurant, that portion would be equivalent to three servings of grain products.

Refer to Canada’s Food Guide for the recommended number of Grain Product servings for children and teens as well as the recommended number of servings for the other three food groups.