1 pound is 16 oz. 8 oz equals 1 cup so the answer is 1
2 cups
The original answer given below is incorrect. One pound of granulated sugar is equal to 2 1/4 cups, therefore a half pound would be 1 1/8 cups. (That extra 1/8th can really make a difference!...
2.523 cups.
The answer to your question will be different for each food. Sorry.