How much of each food group should I eat a day?

For a typical adult: about 2–3 cups of vegetables, 1.5–2 cups of fruit, 5–8 ounce-equivalents of grains (half of them whole), 5–6.5 ounce-equivalents of protein foods, and 3 cups of dairy. Your exact amounts depend on your calorie needs — the free MyPlate Plan calculator on this site personalizes them.

What is an ounce-equivalent or a cup-equivalent?

They're MyPlate's standard portions. One grain ounce-equivalent is a slice of bread or a half-cup of cooked rice; one protein ounce-equivalent is an ounce of meat, an egg, or a quarter-cup of beans. A cup-equivalent of vegetables, fruit, or dairy is one measuring cup (or 1.5 ounces of hard cheese for dairy).

Are beans a vegetable or a protein food?

Both — beans, peas, and lentils count in either the Vegetable group or the Protein group. The practical rule: if they're your main protein for the meal, count them as protein; if they're a side alongside meat, fish, or poultry, count them as a vegetable.

What foods are in each food group?

Vegetables: leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and beans and peas. Fruits: apples, berries, oranges, bananas, and melon — fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. Grains: bread, rice, pasta, oats, and tortillas (make at least half whole grains). Protein Foods: meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy. Dairy: milk, yogurt, and cheese, or fortified soy alternatives.

How many food groups are there — five or six?

Five: Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy. Older guidance sometimes counted six or seven by splitting protein into separate meat and bean groups, or by listing fats and oils — but under MyPlate, oils are a recommended part of a healthy diet, not a food group. So today the answer is five.

MyPlate Food Groups: All 5, What Counts & How Much a Day

Q: What are the five MyPlate food groups?

Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy. On the plate icon, vegetables and fruits fill half, grains and protein foods fill the other half, and dairy sits alongside as a cup. Each meal should pull from across the groups.

Fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy — the foods in each, plus what makes a cup or an ounce, straight from the USDA Dietary Guidelines 2020–2025.

What are the five MyPlate food groups?

MyPlate divides every meal into five food groups — Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Protein Foods, and Dairy — shown as portions on a plate. Filling your plate from all five, in the right proportions, is the simplest way to eat a balanced diet. Here's what counts in each group, how much you need a day, and how to choose well.

Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits together fill half the plate. Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts, and variety matters: MyPlate sorts them into five subgroups — dark green, red and orange, beans/peas/lentils, starchy, and other — and recommends eating across all of them through the week.

Most adults need about 2 to 3 cups a day. Examples: broccoli, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and corn. Fresh, frozen, and canned (no salt added) all count — choose them more often than not.

Fruits

Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts toward the Fruit group. Focus on whole fruit — fresh, frozen, canned in 100% juice, or dried — for the fiber that juice leaves behind. Most adults need about 1.5 to 2 cups a day.

Examples: apples, berries, oranges, bananas, grapes, and melon. A cup of fruit, or a half-cup of dried fruit, counts as one cup-equivalent.

Grains

Grains are split into whole grains and refined grains. Make at least half your grains whole grains — they keep the bran and germ, and with them the fiber, B vitamins, and minerals that refining strips out.

Most adults need 5 to 8 ounce-equivalents a day. One ounce-equivalent is a slice of bread, a half-cup of cooked rice, pasta, or oatmeal, or a cup of ready-to-eat cereal. Whole examples: whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oats, popcorn, and whole-grain tortillas.

Protein Foods

The Protein group is broad: seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas and lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy products. Vary your choices, lean toward plant and seafood sources, and aim for seafood about twice a week.

Most adults need 5 to 6.5 ounce-equivalents a day. One ounce-equivalent is an ounce of cooked meat or fish, one egg, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a quarter-cup of cooked beans, or a half-ounce of nuts.

Dairy

The Dairy group includes milk, yogurt, cheese, and fortified soy milk and soy yogurt. Choose fat-free or low-fat options to get the calcium, potassium, and vitamin D without the extra saturated fat.

Most adults need about 3 cups a day. A cup-equivalent is 8 ounces of milk or yogurt, 1.5 ounces of hard cheese, or a cup of fortified soy milk.

How much of each group? Use the MyPlate Plan

The exact amounts depend on your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. The free MyPlate Plan calculator on this site turns your profile into daily targets for all five food groups across the USDA's calorie patterns — the same way the federal MyPlate Plan tool did before MyPlate.gov was retired.

Test what you know

Ready to check your food-group knowledge? Take the free MyPlate quiz — short, multiple-choice questions on all five food groups, each with the correct answer and a short explanation as you go.

Explore each food group

Keep exploring

Recipes Ready-Made Meal Plans Grocery Picks Quizzes Printables Food Diary Template Serving Up MyPlate Calculator Nutrition Statistics MyPlate for Older Adults MyPlate for Pregnancy