What foods are in the Vegetable Group?
How many vegetables are needed?
Note: Click on the top row to expand the table. If you are on a mobile device, you may need to turn your phone to see the full table.
Daily Vegetable Table | ||
---|---|---|
Daily Recommendation* | ||
Children | 2-3 years old 4-8 years old | 1 cup 1 ½ cups |
Girls | 9-13 years old 14-18 years old | 2 cups 2 ½ cups |
Boys | 9-13 years old 14-18 years old | 2 ½ cups 3 cups |
Women | 19-30 years old 31-50 years old 51+ years old | 2 ½ cups 2 ½ cups 2 cups |
Men | 19-30 years old 31-50 years old 51+ years old | 3 cups 3 cups 2 ½ cups |
Vegetable subgroup recommendations are given as amounts to eat WEEKLY. It is not necessary to eat vegetables from each subgroup daily. However, over a week, try to consume the amounts listed from each subgroup as a way to reach your daily intake recommendation.
Note: Click on the top row to expand the table. If you are on a mobile device, you may need to turn your phone to see the full table.
Weekly Vegetable Subgroup Table | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dark green vegetables | Red and orange vegetables | Beans and peas | Starchy vegetables | Other vegetables | |
Amount per Week | |||||
Children 2-3 yrs old 4-8 yrs old |
½ cup 1 cup |
2 ½ cups 3 cups |
½ cup ½ cup |
2 cups 3 ½ cups |
1 ½ cups 2 ½ cups |
Girls 9-13 yrs old 14-18 yrs old |
1 ½ cups 1 ½ cups |
4 cups 5 ½ cups |
1 cup 1 ½ cups |
4 cups 5 cups |
3 ½ cups 4 cups |
Boys 9-13 yrs old 14-18 yrs old |
1 ½ cups 2 cups |
5 ½ cups 6 cups |
1 ½ cups 2 cups |
5 cups 6 cups |
4 cups 5 cups |
Women 19-30 yrs old 31-50 yrs old 51+ yrs old |
1 ½ cups 1 ½ cups 1 ½ cups |
5 ½ cups 5 ½ cups 4 cups |
1 ½ cups 1 ½ cups 1 cup |
5 cups 5 cups 4 cups |
4 cups 4 cups 3 ½ cups |
Men 19-30 yrs old 31-50 yrs old 51+ yrs old |
2 cups 2 cups 1 ½ cups |
6 cups 6 cups 5 ½ cups |
2 cups 2 cups 1 ½ cups |
6 cups 6 cups 5 cups |
5 cups 5 cups 4 cups |
What counts as a cup of vegetables?
Note: Click on the top row to expand the table. If you are on a mobile device, you may need to turn your phone to see the full table.
Cup of Vegetable Table | ||
---|---|---|
Amount that counts as 1 cup of vegetable | Amount that counts as 1/2 cup of vegetables | |
Dark Green Vegetables | ||
Broccoli | 1 cup, chopped or florets 3 spears 5" long raw or cooked | |
Greens (collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale) | 1 cup, cooked | |
Spinach | 1 cup, cooked 2 cups, raw |
1 cup, raw |
Raw leafy greens: Spinach, romaine, watercress, dark green leafy lettuce, endive, escarole | 2 cups, raw | 1 cup, raw |
Red and Orange Vegetables | ||
Carrots | 1 cup, strips, slices, or chopped, raw or cooked 2 medium 1 cup baby carrots (about 12) | 1 medium carrot About 6 baby carrots |
Pumpkin | 1 cup, mashed, cooked | |
Red peppers | 1 cup, chopped, raw, or cooked 1 large pepper (3" diameter, 3 3/4" long) | 1 small pepper |
Tomatoes | 1 large raw whole (3") 1 cup, chopped or sliced, raw, canned, or cooked | 1 small raw whole (2 1/4" diameter) 1 medium canned |
Tomato juice | 1 cup | ½ cup |
Sweet potato | 1 large baked (2 ¼" or more diameter) 1 cup, sliced or mashed, cooked | |
Winter squash (acorn, butternut, hubbard) | 1 cup, cubed, cooked | ½ acorn squash, baked = ¾ cup |
Beans and Peas | ||
Dry beans and peas (such as black, garbanzo, kidney, pinto, or soy beans, or black-eyed peas or split peas) | 1 cup, whole or mashed, cooked | |
Starchy Vegetables | ||
Corn, yellow or white | 1 cup 1 large ear (8" to 9" long) | 1 small ear (about 6" long) |
Green peas | 1 cup | |
White potatoes | 1 cup, diced, mashed 1 medium boiled or baked potato (2 ½" to 3" diameter) | |
Amount that counts as 1 cup of vegetables | Amount that counts as 1/2 cup of vegetables | |
Other Vegetables | ||
Bean sprouts | 1 cup, cooked | |
Cabbage, green | 1 cup, chopped or shredded raw or cooked | |
Cauliflower | 1 cup, pieces or florets raw or cooked | |
Celery | 1 cup, diced or sliced, raw or cooked 2 large stalks (11" to 12" long) | 1 large stalk (11" to 12" long) |
Cucumbers | 1 cup, raw, sliced or chopped | |
Green or wax beans | 1 cup, cooked | |
Green peppers | 1 cup, chopped, raw or cooked 1 large pepper (3" diameter, 3 ¾" long) | 1 small pepper |
Lettuce, iceberg or head | 2 cups, raw, shredded or chopped | 1 cup, raw, shredded or chopped |
Mushrooms | 1 cup, raw or cooked | |
Onions | 1 cup, chopped, raw or cooked | |
Summer squash or zucchini | 1 cup, cooked, sliced or diced |