Serving Sizes of Fruits & Vegetables

Most people know eating fruits and vegetables is healthy. However, when it's time to figure out what a serving is, you may be confused. The USDA provides information on serving sizes for whole, raw, cooked, dried and liquid fruits and vegetables.

What's a Serving of Vegetables?

• One cup of cooked or raw vegetables chopped equals one serving. Two cups of leafy green vegetables, like spinach or lettuce, equal one serving.

What's a Serving of Fruit?

• One serving of cut-up raw or cooked fruit is 1 cup.

Liquid Serving Sizes

• One cup of 100 percent vegetable or fruit juice equals one serving of fruits or vegetables. However, no more than one serving of daily fruits or vegetables should be taken in liquid form.

Whole Fruit and Vegetables

• For foods that aren't chopped, here are some of the standards for one serving: one 3-inch tomato, two large celery stalks, three 5-inch spears of broccoli, 32 seedless grapes, one large (8- to 9-inch) banana.

Dried Fruits and Vegetables

• A half-cup of dried fruit equals one serving. One cup of dried, uncooked beans or peas equals one serving of vegetables.