Healthy Lifestyle

Eat a Wide Variety of Foods

This chart shows the suggested number of servings from each food group based on a daily intake of 1,600 or 2,000 calories. There is a right number of calories for you, depending on your age, physical activity level and whether you are trying to lose, gain or maintain your weight. If you need fewer calories than shown below, decrease the number of servings and increase the servings if you need more calories.

Food Type	1,600 calories	2,000 calories	Sample Serving Sizes
Grains At least half of your servings should be whole-grain	6 servings per day	6–8 servings per day	- 1 slice bread - 1 oz dry cereal (check nutrition label for cup measurements of different products) - ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal (about the size of a baseball)
Vegetables Eat a variety of colors and types	3–4 servings per day	4–5 servings per day	- 1 cup raw leafy vegetables (about the size of a small fist) - ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables - ½ cup vegetable juice
Fruits Eat a variety of colors and types	4 servings per day	4–5 servings per day	- 1 medium fruit (about the size of a baseball) - ¼ cup dried fruit - ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit - ½ cup fruit juice
Fat-free or low-fat dairy products	2–3 servings per day	2–3 servings per day	- 1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk - 1 cup fat-free or low-fat yogurt - 1½ oz fat-free or low-fat cheese (about the size of 6 stacked dice)
Lean meats, poultry, and seafood	3–6 oz (cooked) per day	Less than 6 oz per day	- 3 oz cooked meat is about the size of a computer mouse - 3 oz grilled fish is about the size of a checkbook
Fats and oils Use liquid vegetable oil and soft margarines most often	2 servings per day	2–3 servings per day	- 1 tsp soft margarine - 1 Tbsp mayonnaise - 1 tsp vegetable oil - 1 Tbsp regular or 2 Tbsp low-fat salad dressing (fat-free dressing does not count as a serving)
Nuts, seeds, and legumes	3–4 servings per week	4–5 servings per week	- 1/3 cup or 1½ oz nuts - 2 Tbsp peanut butter - 2 Tbsp or ½ oz seeds - ½ cup dry beans or peas
Sweets and added sugars	0 servings per week	5 or fewer servings per week	- 1 Tbsp sugar - 1 Tbsp jelly or jam - ½ cup sorbet and ices - 1 cup lemonade