The Serving Size for Pineapple

Pineapple contains few calories per serving and no fat or cholesterol. Like other fruits, it provides a good source of many essential nutrients. One whole pineapple contains several individual servings, so share with a friend or store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer after cutting it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define one serving of pineapple as ½ cup, diced. A serving this size contains 35 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates, including 1 grams of dietary fiber and 7 grams of sugars. Nutrition information provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines one serving of pineapple as two slices, 3 inches in diameter and ¾-inches thick. A serving this size contains 50 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates, including 1 g of dietary fiber and 10 grams of sugars.

A ½-cup serving of diced pineapple contains 115 milligrams of potassium and 45 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Potassium can help reduce the effect of salt on your blood pressure, and vitamin C plays an important role in the body's healing processes as well as gum and tooth health.

Foods with high water content and low energy density, such as pineapple and other fruits, can help you feel full without eating too many calories, according to the Mayo Clinic website. To use low-energy dense foods such as pineapple to your advantage, reduce your portion of a higher energy-dense food, such as meat, cheese or grains, and replace the volume with a serving of fresh pineapple.

Women ages 19 to 30 and men age 19 and above should eat 2 cups of fruit per day, and women 31 to 50 should eat 1.5 cups of fruit per day, according to the USDA. Adults who get 30 minutes or more of physical activity per day may have room in their diet to consume more fruit. One cup of sliced or crushed pineapple, raw or cooked, counts as one cup of fruit, and one 4-ounce snack container of drained pineapple counts as a half cup of fruit, according to the USDA.