Vegetables
Vary your veggies.
What foods are in the Vegetable Group?
Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as part 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; red and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables.
More About the Vegetable Group
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.
*These are general recommendations by age. Find the right amount for you by getting your MyPlate Plan.
| Daily Recommendation* | ||
|---|---|---|
| Toddlers | 12 to 23 months | ⅔ to 1 cup |
| Children | 2-4 yrs | 1 to 2 cups |
| 5-8 yrs | 1½ to 2½ cups | |
| Girls | 9-13 yrs | 1½ to 3 cups |
| 14-18 yrs | 2½ to 3 cups | |
| Boys | 9-13 yrs | 2 to 3½ cups |
| 14-18 yrs | 2½ to 4 cups | |
| Women | 19-30 yrs | 2½ to 3 cups |
| 31-59 yrs | 2 to 3 cups | |
| 60+ yrs | 2 to 3 cups | |
| Men | 19-30 yrs | 3 to 4 cups |
| 31-59 yrs | 3 to 4 cups | |
| 60+ yrs | 2½ to 3½ cups | |
| Amount that counts as 1 cup of vegetables | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dark-Green Vegetables | Broccoli | 1 cup, chopped or florets, fresh or frozen |
| Bitter melon leaves, chrysanthemum leaves, escarole, lambsquarters, nettles, poke greens, taro leaves, turnip greens | 1 cup, cooked | |
| Amaranth leaves, beet greens, bok choy, broccoli raab (rapini), chard, collards (collard greens), cress, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress |
1 cup, cooked 2 cups, fresh |
|
| Raw leafy greens: Arugula (rocket), basil, cilantro, dark green leafy lettuce, endive, escarole, mixed greens, mesclun, romaine |
2 cups, fresh |
|
| Red and Orange Vegetables | Carrots |
2 medium carrots |
| Pimento/Pimiento | 3 whole 1 cup |
|
| Pumpkin, calabaza | 1 cup, mashed, cooked | |
| Red and orange bell peppers |
1 large bell pepper |
|
| Red chili peppers | ¾ cup | |
| Sweet potato | 1 large sweet potato, baked 1 cup, sliced or mashed, cooked |
|
| Tomatoes | 1 large tomato 2 small tomatoes 1 cup, chopped or sliced, fresh, canned, or cooked |
|
| 100% vegetable juice | 1 cup | |
| Winter squash (acorn, butternut, hubbard, kabocha) | 1 cup, cubed, cooked | |
| Beans, Peas, and Lentils | Dry beans and peas and lentils (such as bayo, black, brown, fava, garbanzo, kidney, lima, mung, navy, pigeon, pink, pinto, soy, or white beans, or black-eyed peas (cow peas) or split peas, and red, brown, and green lentils) | 1 cup, whole or mashed, cooked |
| Starchy Vegetables | Breadfruit | 1 ½ cups, cooked |
| Cassava | ¾ cup, cooked | |
| Corn, yellow or white | 1 large ear of corn 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen |
|
| Green peas | 1 cup fresh or frozen | |
| Hominy | 1 cup, cooked | |
| Plantains | ¾ cup, cooked | |
| White potatoes | 1 medium white potato, boiled or baked 1 cup, diced, mashed, fresh or frozen |
|
| Other Vegetables | Avocado | 1 avocado |
| Bamboo shoots | 1 cup | |
| Bean sprouts | 1 cup, cooked | |
| Cabbage, green, red, napa, savoy | 1 cup, chopped or shredded raw or cooked | |
| Cactus pads (nopales) | 5 pads 1 cup sliced |
|
| Cauliflower | 1 cup, pieces or florets raw or cooked, fresh or frozen | |
| Celery |
1 cup, diced or sliced, raw or cooked 2 large stalks (11" to 12" long) |
|
| Cucumbers | 1 cup, raw, sliced or chopped | |
| Green or wax beans | 1 cup, cooked | |
| Green bell peppers |
1 large bell pepper 1 cup, chopped, raw or cooked, fresh or frozen |
|
| Lettuce, iceberg or head | 2 cups, raw, shredded or chopped | |
| Mushrooms | 1 cup, raw or cooked | |
| Okra | 1 cup, cooked | |
| Onions | 1 cup, chopped, raw or cooked | |
| Summer squash or zucchini | 1 cup, cooked, sliced or diced | |
Why is it important to eat vegetables?
Eating vegetables provides health benefits — people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Health Benefits
All food and beverage choices matter – focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.
- As part of an overall healthy diet, eating foods such as vegetables that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.
- Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.
- Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.
- Adding vegetables can help increase intake of fiber and potassium, which are important nutrients that many Americans do not get enough of in their diet.
