Fruit and Veggie Serving Sizes
Portion Control
What is a serving size?
A serving size is a standard measurement used to give advice about how much to eat or to determine how many calories and nutrients are in a food. Although the term “serving size” is often used interchangeably with “helping” or "portion," there is a difference.
A helping or portion is simply the amount of food you have scooped onto your plate. But a serving size, measured in ounces or cups, is a specific recommendation from the USDA MyPyramid and is based on an individual’s age, gender and activity level. Serving sizes are also listed on the nutrition panels of food labels, but these serving sizes are often different from MyPyramid servings.
For the most accurate serving recommendations, use MyPyramid as a guide. Depending on your age, sex and activity level, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests a daily 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables help ward off a number of diseases and offer nutrients essential for supporting heart and digestive health.
Check out The World's Healthiest Foods and the Harvard School of Public Health for more information on the benefits of fruits and vegetables, MyPyramid for detailed information on menu planning and AOL Health's Veggie and Fruit Tracker.
Fruit Servings
- Apple -- one medium
- Apricot – 1/2 cup, sliced
- Avocado -- 1/2 cup, cubed
- Banana -- 1/2 cup, sliced
- Blackberries -- 1/2 cup
- Blueberries -- 1/2 cup
- Cantaloupe -- 1/2 cup, diced
- Cherries -- 1/2 cup
- Cranberries -- 1/2 cup
- Figs -- 1/2 cup, raw
- Grapefruit -- 1/2 cup, sectioned
- Grapes -- one and 1/2 cups, red or green
- Honeydew melon -- 1/2 cup, diced
- Kiwi -- 1/2 cup, sliced
- Lemon -- 1/2 cup, sectioned and peeled
- Mango -- 1/2 cup, sliced
- Nectarine -- 1/2 cup
- Orange -- one medium
- Orange juice – 3/4 cup
- Papaya -- 1/2 cup, cubed
- Peach -- one medium
- Pear -- 1/2 cup, sliced
- Plum -- 1/2 cup, sliced
- Pomegranate -- one medium raw
- Prune juice – 3/4 cup
- Raisins -- 1/4 cup
- Raspberries -- one cup
- Strawberry -- 1/2 cup, sliced
- Tomato -- 1/2 cup, cubed
- Watermelon -- 1/2 cup, diced
Veggie Serving Size
- Artichoke -- one medium, cooked
- Asparagus -- 1/2 cup, cooked; 1/2 cup, raw, sliced
- Beets -- 1/2 cup, cooked
- Bell pepper -- 1/2 cup, chopped
- Broccoli -- 1/2 cup, cooked or raw
- Brussel sprouts -- 1/2 cup, cooked
- Cabbage -- 1/2 cup, cooked or raw
- Carrots -- 1/2 cup, cooked or raw
- Cauliflower -- 1/2 cup, cooked or raw
- Celery -- 1/2 cup sliced, raw
- Collard greens -- 1/2 cup, cooked
- Corn -- 1/2 cup, cooked
- Cucumbers -- 1/2 cup, sliced with skin
- Eggplant -- 1/2 cup, cubed, cooked
- Fennel -- 1/2 cup, raw
- Green beans -- 1/2 cup, cooked
- Lettuce -- one cup, chopped, raw
- Mushrooms -- 1/2 cup, cooked or raw
- Onions -- 1/2 cup, chopped, cooked or raw
- Peas -- 1/2 cup, cooked
- Potato -- one medium potato, baked
- Radishes -- 1/2 cup, sliced
- Rutabaga -- one half cup cooked
- Spinach -- 1/2 cup, cooked; 1/2 cup, chopped
- Squash -- 1/2 cup, cubed, raw; 1/2 cup, cooked
- Sweet potato -- 1/2 cup, baked
- Swiss chard -- 1/2 cup, cooked
- Zucchini -- 1/2 cup, cooked; 1/2 cup, cubed, raw d
