WEEK TWO
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Fruits and Vegetables
According to the dietary guidelines for Americans, fruits and vegetables are the foods that should be eaten most
often. For most people, this means more than doubling the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten daily. Here is a
general guideline for eating fruits and vegetables… make them about half of what you eat, every time you eat! Most
people should aim for at least 9 servings of vegetables and fruits per day (about 4 ½ cups).
How much is one serving?
Fruit = ½ cup or one medium piece
Dried Fruit = ¼ cup
Vegetable = ½ cup or one medium piece or 1 cup leafy greens
Juice = ½ cup (must be 100% real juice)
What Counts?
Fresh
Frozen
Canned
Dried
Juice
(100%)
Nutritionally speaking, per ounce, fruits and vegetables provide more nutrition than
any other food, regardless of whether they have been frozen or canned. Freezing and
canning often occurs very shortly after harvest and can actually “lock in” the nutrition.