Healthy Eating How to Eat Healthy What Is a Serving of Vegetables? What makes up a serving of vegetables, and how many servings do you need in a day? By Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a freelance writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and EatingWell Editors EatingWell Editors Articles by "EatingWell Editors" are a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, articles are updated by a number of writers and editors over time to keep the information as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. The EatingWell team includes industry-leading food and nutrition editors, registered dietitians, expert Test Kitchen staffers and designers who produce award-winning journalism, delicious recipes and engaging content. Our work has earned more than 50 national and international awards for writing, editing, art direction, creative marketing and publishing excellence EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 21, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Maria Laura is EatingWell's senior nutrition & news editor. As part of the nutrition team, she edits and assigns nutrition-related content and provides nutrition reviews for articles. Maria Laura is a trained dietitian, almond butter lover and food enthusiast with over seven years of experience in nutrition counseling. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Diana Chistruga According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 10% of Americans eat the recommended daily servings of vegetables. This means many of us are missing out on the nutrients that vegetables deliver, especially potassium and fiber. How many servings should you be eating? It depends on your calorie needs, age and gender. Generally, an adult should aim for 2½-4 cups of vegetables a day, according to the USDA's MyPlate. A good rule is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, which is also good news for your waistline, as vegetables are low in calories. The most brightly colored produce is often the most nutrient-rich, so it's important to eat a wide variety of colorful vegetables—particularly dark green, red and orange vegetables. To make sure you're getting enough, check out these examples of what counts as a serving of vegetables. All calorie counts are for plain vegetables, with no added butter, dressing or other ingredients. Michela Buttignol Serving Sizes of Common Vegetables Here are a few examples of vegetables you're likely to eat on a regular basis. All serving sizes are per the USDA's MyPlate recommendations. Salad Greens and Lettuce Diana Chistruga One serving is 2 cups mesclun greens (about 10 calories), 2 cups raw spinach (about 14 calories) or 1 cup cooked greens (about 40 calories), per the USDA. Carrots Diana Chistruga One serving is 1 cup baby carrots, 1 cup sliced or chopped carrots (fresh, cooked or frozen) or 2 medium carrots, and is about 50 calories, per the USDA. Green Beans Diana Chistruga One serving is 1 cup of green beans and is about 44 calories, per the USDA. Bell Peppers Diana Chistruga One serving of bell peppers is 1 cup chopped, raw or cooked fresh or frozen bell peppers or 1 large bell pepper, and is about 30 calories, per the USDA. Potatoes (Sweet and White) Diana Chistruga One serving is 1 large baked sweet potato (162 calories) or 1 cup of cooked sliced or mashed sweet potato (180 calories). One serving of potato is 1 medium boiled or baked white potato (145 calories) or 1 cup diced or mashed potato (136 calories). Tomatoes Diana Chistruga One serving is 1 cup chopped or sliced, fresh, canned or cooked tomato (about 43 calories) or 1 large or 2 small fresh whole tomatoes (about 33 calories) or 1 cup grape tomatoes (about 47 calories), per the USDA. Broccoli Diana Chistruga One serving is 1 cup of cooked, fresh or frozen broccoli (about 30 calories). Mixed Vegetables Diana Chistruga One serving is 1 cup of mixed vegetables (118 calories), per the USDA. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit