What Counts as a Cup?
So what exactly does a cup of fruits and vegetables look like? One cup refers to a common measuring cup (the kind you use to measure food for recipes). Remember that all product forms count - fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice. Generally, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of 100% vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens are equal to one cup from the vegetable group. You can count 1 cup of fruit, 1 cup of 100% fruit juice, or 1/2 cup of dried fruit as one cup from the fruit group.
Remember—all product forms count, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice. Here are some examples of what a cup and ½ cup of fruits and vegetables looks like:
VEGETABLES
1 Cup:
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 large ear of corn
- 12 raw baby carrots
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1 medium potato
- 2 cups of fresh spinach
1/2 Cup:
- 5 broccoli florets
- 6 raw baby carrots
- 1/2 cup cooked green beans
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 5-6 stalks asparagus
- 5-6 celery sticks
FRUITS
1 Cup:
- 1 small apple
- 1 medium grapefruit
- 1 large orange
- 1 medium pear
- 1 small wedge watermelon
- 8-oz glass of 100% orange juice
1/2 Cup:
- 16 grapes
- 1/2 medium grapefruit
- 4 large strawberries
- 1 large plum
- 1 small box of raisins
- 1 snack container of applesauce
- 4-oz glass of 100% orange juice
How many cups do you need every day?
To find out the official recommendation based on your individual needs, visit www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.
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