How Many Servings of Fruits and Vegetables Should You Eat Per Day?

Fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of many important vitamins and minerals, as well as health-promoting phytochemicals. Not only are they incredibly nutrient dense, they are also low in calories making them an excellent choice of food to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes, as well as certain types of cancer.

Less than 1/3 of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables

Despite these wonderful accolades, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) analysis suggests that less than one third of Americans consume enough fruits and vegetables each day. The CDC also estimates that less than half of Americans have any idea how much produce they should be eating. So how many servings of fruits and vegetables should you eat per day? The answer depends on your age, gender, and level of physical activity. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides the following helpful guidelines, appropriate for someone who gets less than 30 minutes of physical activity a day (beyond normal daily activities). Let’s start with the vegetables.

Vegetables

• Children aged 2 – 8 years = 1 to 1.5 cups per day
• Girls aged 9 – 18 years = 2 to 2.5 cups per day
• Boys aged 9-18 years = 2.5 to 3 cups per day
• Women aged 19-50 years = 2.5 cups per day
• Women aged 51+ years = 2 cups per day
• Men aged 19-50 years = 3 cups per day
• Men aged 51+ years = 2.5 cups per day

What counts as 1 cup of vegetables?

Generally speaking, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of leafy greens is equivalent to 1 cup of vegetables. If you want more specific information about what counts as 1 cup of vegetables, the USDA has a great chart.

Fruits

• Children aged 2 – 8 years = 1 to 1.5 cups per day
• Girls aged 9 – 18 years = 1.5 cups per day
• Boys aged 9-18 years = 1.5 to 2 cups per day
• Women aged 19-30 years = 2 cups per day
• Women aged 31-51+ years = 1.5 cups per day
• Men aged 19-51+ years = 2 cups per day

What counts as 1 cup of fruit?

In general, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit counts as 1 cup of fruit. If you want more specific information about what counts as 1 cup of fruits, the USDA has a great chart for that too.

10 easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables to your day

While eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables might seem like a daunting task, it is hugely important for your health and well-being, and might even keep certain chronic diseases at bay. With that in mind, here are 10 easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables to your day.

1. Add half a cup of berries or a sliced banana to your breakfast.
2. Steam vegetables in the microwave by placing them in a covered bowl with a small amount of water for a speedy side dish.
3. Keep some washed and prepared sugar snap peas, bell peppers, cucumbers, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes in a container in the fridge to snack on mid-morning or mid-afternoon.
4. Don’t forget the freezer aisle – frozen peas, corn, spinach or broccoli can be thrown into any dish or cooked separately to create another healthy side dish.
5. Add a small side salad to every dinner.
6. Eat a piece of fresh fruit with every lunch.
7. Freeze blueberries or grapes, or buy frozen raspberries or mango and munch on them when the urge to snack strikes.
8. Roast some broccoli or garbanzo beans (chick peas) and eat them instead of popcorn while watching your favorite movie.
9. Dip carrots or celery in hummus or your favorite dressing.
10. Make a smoothie with frozen fruit, half a fresh avocado, a handful of spinach, and almond, coconut, soy, or regular milk.

How do you squeeze in your servings of fruit and vegetables everyday?