What your dinner plate should look like
Eat a variety of healthy foods each day
Canada’s Food Guide recommends that you eat a variety of healthy foods each day. This includes:
- plenty of vegetables and fruit
- protein foods
- whole grain foods
Canada’s Food Guide is a handy tool that helps you make healthy choices and eat well.
Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit, a quarter with whole grain foods and a quarter with protein foods. Check out Canada’s Food Guide resources to learn more about food choices and eating habits. And learn how to choose your portion sizes using our guide below!
Source: © All rights reserved. Canada’s Food Guide: Plate. Health Canada, 2019. Adapted and reproduced with permission from the Minister of Health, 2021.
Choose your portion sizes – no measuring cup needed!
When you’re preparing meals or grabbing snacks, it can be tricky to know what a serving size is. Try these tips if you don’t have measuring spoons or cups handy:
- 1 tsp of cooking oil or mayonnaise is equal to the tip of your thumb.
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter or 1 oz of hard cheese is about the size of your thumb.
- 3 oz of meat or fish is roughly the size of your palm.
- 1 oz of nuts or half a cup of rice or pasta can be measured using 1 cupped hand.
- 1 oz of chips, popcorn or snack food can fit into 2 cupped hands.
- 1 cup of vegetables or fruit is the size of your fist.
