What foods are in the Vegetable Group?
Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the Vegetable Group. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed.
Based on their nutrient content, vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups: dark-green vegetables, starchy vegetables, red and orange vegetables, beans and peas, and other vegetables.
How many vegetables are needed?
The amount of vegetables you need to eat depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity. Recommended total daily amounts and recommended weekly amounts from each vegetable subgroup are shown in the two tables below.
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 | 1 cup |
4-8 years old | 1 ½ cups | |
Girls | 9-13 years old | 2 cups |
14-18 years old | 2 ½ cups | |
Boys | 9-13 years old | 2 ½ cups |
14-18 years old | 3 cups | |
Women | 19-30 years old | 2 ½ cups |
31-50 years old | 2 ½ cups | |
51+ years old | 2 cups | |
Men | 19-30 years old | 3 cups |
31-50 years old | 3 cups | |
51+ years old | 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 | ||||||
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Amount per Week | ||||||
Dark green vegetables | Red and orange vegetables | Beans and peas | Starchy vegetables | Other vegetables | ||
Children | 2-3 yrs old | ½ cup | 2 ½ cups | ½ cup | 2 cups | 1 ½ cups |
4-8 yrs old | 1 cup | 3 cups | ½ cup | 3 ½ cups | 2 ½ cups | |
Girls | 9-13 yrs old | 1 ½ cups | 4 cups | 1 cup | 4 cups | 3 ½ cups |
14-18 yrs old | 1 ½ cups | 5 ½ cups | 1 ½ cups | 5 cups | 4 cups | |
Boys | 9-13 yrs old | 1 ½ cups | 5 ½ cups | 1 ½ cups | 5 cups | 4 cups |
14-18 yrs old | 2 cups | 6 cups | 2 cups | 6 cups | 5 cups | |
Women | 19-30 yrs old | 1 ½ cups | 5 ½ cups | 1 ½ cups | 5 cups | 4 cups |
31-50 yrs old | 1 ½ cups | 5 ½ cups | 1 ½ cups | 5 cups | 4 cups | |
51+ yrs old | 1 ½ cups | 4 cups | 1 cup | 4 cups | 3 ½ cups | |
Men | 19-30 yrs old | 2 cups | 6 cups | 2 cups | 6 cups | 5 cups |
31-50 yrs old | 2 cups | 6 cups | 2 cups | 6 cups | 5 cups | |
51+ yrs old | 1 ½ cups | 5 ½ cups | 1 ½ 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) | ||
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 |