LIVING WELL WITH DIABE TES

Serving Size Guide

Keep your serving sizes in check! Use the healthy plate method to balance your plate (fill ½ of a 9-inch
plate with vegetables, ¼ with whole grains/starches, ¼ with protein, and add dairy and/or fruit on the
side). For women, aim for 2 to 3 servings of carbohydrate per meal if your goal is to lose weight and
3 to 4 servings if your goal is to maintain weight. For men, aim for 3 to 4 servings of carbohydrate per
meal if your goal is to lose weight and 4 to 5 servings if your goal is to maintain weight.

These foods have 1 serving (15 grams) of carbohydrate.

Bread Bun (hot dog, Roll Pasta Tortilla Rice, quinoa,
(loaf-type) hamburger) (plain) (cooked) (corn, flour) couscous
(cooked)
GRAINS

1 slice ½ 1 small 1/3 cup 1 (6 inches) 1/3 cup

Bagel Cold cereal Granola Pancake or Biscuit Oatmeal, grits

(unsweetened) waffle (cooked)

¼ large ¾ cup ¼ cup 1 (4 inches) 1 (2½ inches) ½ cup

Taro Potato (mashed Peas (green) Sweet potato, Corn Squash (acorn,
or baked) yam (plain) butternut)
VEGETABLES
STARCHY

1/3 cup ½ cup or ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup or 1 cup

½ medium ½ large cob

Baked beans Lentils Beans (cooked Peas Hummus Refried beans

BEANS, PEAS,

(canned) (cooked) or canned) (black-eyed) (fat-free or

& LENTILS

vegetarian)

1/3 cup ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup 1/3 cup ½ cup

Fat-free, low-fat milk Fat-free plain or Greek yogurt*

(cow’s, lactose-free, rice, sweetened soy) (may be artificially sweetened)
DAIRY

1 cup 2/3 cup

*Check the label. The amount of carbohydrate can vary by brand.

 These foods have 1 serving (15 grams) of carbohydrate.
Apple Banana Mango Grapes Grapefruit Cherries Pineapple
(small) (fresh)

1 small ½ banana ½ small ½ cup ½ large 12 ¾ cup

FRUIT

(4 inches)

Orange, Raspberries Blueberries Strawberries Raisins Canned fruit in

nectarine, (whole) juice
peach (fresh)

1 small 1 cup ¾ cup 1¼ cups 2 tablespoons ½ cup

Popcorn Pretzels Crackers (round, Chips (baked Granola bar Rice cakes
(popped) butter-type, or or regular)
saltine)
SNACKS

3 cups ¾ ounce 6 8 baked, 1 2

13 regular

Cake Cupcake Brownie Doughnut Frozen fruit Ice cream

(unfrosted) (frosted) (unfrosted) (glazed) juice bar

2-inch square 1/2 small 1¼-inch square ½ 1 ½ cup

SWEETS

Cookies Muffin Honey, sugar, jelly, Pudding (made Frozen yogurt*

(chocolate chip) regular syrup with 2% milk) (fat-free or regular)

2 small ¼ regular muffin 1 tablespoon ¼ cup 1/3 cup fat-free,

½ cup regular

Total carbohydrate per serving: 5 grams

Beans (waxed or green), bean sprouts, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots,
NONSTARCHY
VEGETABLES

cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber, eggplant, mushrooms, lettuce, nopales, okra, onions,
peppers, radishes, spinach, tomatoes

1 serving = 1 cup raw, ½ cup cooked, ½ cup juice, or ½ cup tomato sauce

*Check the label. The amount of carbohydrate can vary by brand.

©2018 Southern California Permanente Medical Group. All rights reserved. Center for Healthy Living RHE765 (7/18) kp.org