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Home » General Nutrition » How Much is a Serving of Vegetables or Fruit?

Last updated on February 1, 2016. Originally posted on February 1, 2016 By Maryea / 4 Comments

How Much is a Serving of Vegetables or Fruit?

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Am I eating enough vegetables and fruits? I mean really, am I?  How can I be sure?  Well the USDA says an active adult should get 10 servings of vegetables and fruit a day. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t know exactly what that meant so I had to research it a bit.

Before we can really understand if we are eating enough, we need to clarify how much is a serving of vegetables or fruit.  In general, a serving size is considered 1/2 cup.  But if you grab an apple for your snack, do you really know if that’s equal to one serving, or is it more?  What about salad?  Do all those greens satisfy my requirement for the day in one sitting?  It can get confusing. Let’s take a look at the cheat sheet I made so you can see what equals a serving of the types of fruits and vegetables you may be eating.  How Much is a Serving of Vegetables or Fruit?

How Much is a Serving of Vegetables or Fruit?

1/2 Cup=1 Serving Vegetables or Fruit

1 Large Piece of Fruit=2 Servings Fruit

1 Cup Raw Leafy Greens=1 Serving Vegetables

1/2 Cup Cooked Greens=1 Serving Vegetables

1/4 Cup Dried Fruit=1 Serving Fruit

1/2 Medium Potato=1 Serving Vegetables

5 Broccoli Florets=1 Serving Vegetables

6 Baby Carrots=1 Serving Vegetables

1 Medium Carrot=1 Serving Vegetables

4 Large Strawberries=1 Serving Fruit

16 grapes=1 Serving Fruit

1 Large Celery Stalk=1 Serving Vegetables

1/2 large bell pepper=1 Serving Vegetables

1 Small Bell Pepper=1 Serving Vegetables

Do I normally measure out exactly how much vegetables and fruits I’m eating?  No.  If I’m filling my plate with mostly plants, I assume I’m getting enough.  I know there are days, probably more than once a week, that I’m not eating as many vegetables and fruits as I should.  That’s why this month, as part of the Happy Healthy Mama Healthy Year Challenge, the theme is Eat More Plants, and I’m keeping track and focusing on how many servings I’m actually getting.

How Much is  Serving of Vegetables and Fruit?

I’d say it’s worth taking the time to really figure out how many vegetables and fruits we’re eating instead of just guessing or hoping we’re getting enough.  Same goes for our children.  Do they really get enough?  Active children need between 5-9  servings of vegetables and fruit a day.   I feel a lot more confident that I’m getting enough than my children are.  That’s why I’m focusing on their intake this month, too!

I hope this chart will help you as you think about how many vegetables and fruits you and your family are eating each day.  Being mindful is the first step to eating as many plants as we should be.  Make it a great week, friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: General Nutrition

Previous Post: « How to Implement the Eat More Plants Challenge
Next Post: Sweet Potato Chocolate Shake »

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Comments

  1. Jibon says

    August 10, 2022 at 2:33 am

    Genuine Fitness
    provides day to day fitness tips. All the fitness tips are backed up by science. All our guidelines are made for people of all ages so it is very easy to follow

    Reply
  2. Heather @ fit mama real food says

    February 1, 2016 at 11:56 pm

    Great breakdown of actual serving sizes! I don’t measure my food, but instead make it a focus to include lots of fruits and/or veggies with each meal and snack. I’d be curious to know the actual servings I get in one day though!

    Reply
  3. Heather @ fit mama real food says

    February 1, 2016 at 11:54 pm

    Great breakdown of actual serving sizes! I don’t measure my food, but instead make it a focus to include lots of fruits and/or veggies with each meal and snack. I’d be curious to know the actual servings I get in one day though!

    Reply
    • Maryea says

      February 2, 2016 at 9:14 pm

      I am not normally into measuring my food at all, but I’m finding myself liking keeping track so far! It’s fun to see how many servings I’m actually eating in a day.

      Reply

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