Fruit and Vegetables: The Quick Reference
Fruit and Vegetables: the whole thing in five minutes, for when you want the numbers and nothing else.
Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice forms of plant foods, counted in cup-equivalents on MyPlate.
Key takeaways
- Fruit at 2,000 calories: 2 cups a day
- Vegetables at 2,000 calories: 2 1/2 cups a day
- Most useful single change: Fill half the plate with fruit and vegetables, as MyPlate suggests.
- Commonest mistake: Getting most of your fruit from juice rather than whole fruit.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fruit at 2,000 calories | 2 cups a day |
| Vegetables at 2,000 calories | 2 1/2 cups a day |
| Counts as 1 cup of fruit | 1 cup fresh, frozen or canned, 1/2 cup dried, or 1 cup 100% juice |
| Counts as 1 cup of vegetables | 1 cup raw or cooked, or 2 cups raw leafy greens |
| Whole fruit | at least half of fruit intake |
| Frozen and canned | count, and are nutritionally comparable to fresh |
In one paragraph
Higher intakes are linked to lower rates of heart disease and some cancers, yet only about 1 in 10 American adults eats the recommended amount.
Worth doing
- Fill half the plate with fruit and vegetables, as MyPlate suggests
- Use frozen, which is picked and frozen quickly and is often cheaper
- Add a can of beans or a handful of frozen vegetables to meals you already cook
- Buy what is in season or on sale, then freeze it
Worth avoiding
- Getting most of your fruit from juice rather than whole fruit
- Assuming fresh is always better than frozen
- Fruit canned in heavy syrup and vegetables with added salt where a lower-sugar or lower-sodium version exists
Related topics
- Cooking with Pulses: What the Evidence Actually Says (Healthy Recipes)
- Vitamin C: What the Evidence Actually Says (Immunity)
- Diet and Eye Health: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Eye Health)
- The Evidence on Brain and Diet, Without the Hype (Brain Health)
Where to go next
- The First Steps With Fruit and Vegetables
- Your Questions About Fruit and Vegetables, Answered
- Fruit and Vegetables — the reference entry
- Nutrition: The Complete Guide
- The Evidence on Whole Grains, Without the Hype
- The Evidence on Food Labels, Without the Hype
When to speak to a doctor
If you take warfarin, keep vitamin K intake from leafy greens consistent rather than avoiding them and talk to your doctor before changing your diet; if you follow a potassium restriction for kidney disease, ask your kidney care team about portions. Call 911 for heavy bleeding that will not stop, vomiting blood or a sudden severe headache while on a blood thinner.
Where this comes from
- USDA — MyPlate: Fruits and Vegetables
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans — Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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