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What Constitutes a Serving of a Vegetable or Fruit?

Eating fruits and vegetables is important for good health. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of stroke and heart disease. In a 14-year study, people who ate eight or more servings of fruits and vegetables had a 30 percent lower risk of a heart attack compared to those who had less than one and half servings. To be sure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables, you need to understand what constitutes a serving.

  1. Whole Fruits

    • For most fruits, the serving generally equals one cup. For whole fruit, choose smaller sized whole fruits or cut the fruit to fit one cup in a measuring cup. One small apple or one banana are one serving of fruit. Eight strawberries are one serving of fruit, as is a small wedge of watermelon. For some fruits, half a cup is an appropriate serving. For example, half a cup of grapes or roughly sixteen grapes is one serving. Half a medium grapefruit is one serving, and one large plum is a serving of fruit.

    Dried Fruits and Canned Fruits

    • Dried fruits are slightly different than whole or cut up fresh fruits. Typically 1/4 cup of dried fruit is equivalent to one serving. You need less dried fruit because the water is removed. Be sure that the dried fruit has no sugar added. A serving of canned fruits is 1/2 cup and cooked fruit is also 1/2 cup. The best canned or cooked fruits have no added sugar or are sweetened with its own juice. If you are drinking juice, 3/4 cup of juice is one serving of fruit.

    Cooked Vegetables

    • One serving of cooked vegetables is one cup. One cup of cooked collard greens is a serving, while five cooked broccoli florets equals half a cup. The CDC recommends that fruits and vegetables should be a large part of a healthy diet and the servings you need are dependent on your age, activity level and sex. A 30-year old male who engages in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day needs 2 cups of fruit and 3.5 cups of vegetables, while a 30-year female with less than 30 minutes of daily exercise should eat 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables. A six year old child needs about 1.5 cups of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables.

    Raw Vegetables

    • Raw vegetables are slightly different than cooked vegetables. For raw leafy vegetables such as salad greens, you need to eat 2 cups to reach the equivalent of a serving of cooked vegetables. For other vegetables such as red bell peppers, one cup raw is a serving. A serving of raw carrots is half a cup, and two stalks of raw celery is one serving or one cup. Note that potatoes are not a vegetable. They are in the starch group, like breads and rice.

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