What foods are in the vegetable group and its five USDA subgroups — dark-green, red & orange, beans/peas/lentils, starchy, and other. See what counts as 1 cup and how many cups of vegetables you need a day (2–3 cups) by calorie level.
The vegetable group covers all fresh, frozen, canned, and dried vegetables and 100% vegetable juice. To spread the nutrients, the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 sorts them into five subgroups — dark-green, red and orange, beans/peas/lentils, starchy, and other — and sets a weekly target for each. Vegetables are measured in cup-equivalents: 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens, counts as 1 cup. Most adults need 2 to 3 cups a day, depending on calorie needs.
MyPlate groups vegetables into five subgroups by their nutrient profile. Eating across all five over a week — not just the same few — is what the weekly subgroup targets encourage.
Spinach, broccoli, kale, romaine lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, watercress, and arugula.
Carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tomato juice, red bell peppers, winter squash (acorn and butternut), and pumpkin.
Kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lentils, split peas, edamame, and black-eyed peas. These also count in the protein group.
White potatoes, corn, green peas, lima beans, plantains, cassava, and water chestnuts.
Onions, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumbers, celery, cabbage, zucchini and summer squash, green bell peppers, beets, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and iceberg lettuce.
| Food | Amount that counts as 1 cup |
|---|---|
| Raw leafy greens | 2 cups (Counts as 1 cup) |
| Cooked vegetables | 1 cup chopped or sliced |
| Raw vegetables | 1 cup chopped or sliced |
| Broccoli | 3 spears (5" long) |
| Baby carrots | About 12 baby carrots |
| 100% vegetable juice | 1 cup (8 fl oz) |
Daily targets from the USDA Healthy US-Style Pattern across all 12 calorie levels — the MyPlate Plan calculator finds your level in under a minute.
| Calorie level | Daily vegetables (cups) |
|---|---|
| 1,000 cal | 1 |
| 1,200 cal | 1.5 |
| 1,400 cal | 1.5 |
| 1,600 cal | 2 |
| 1,800 cal | 2.5 |
| 2,000 cal | 2.5 |
| 2,200 cal | 3 |
| 2,400 cal | 3 |
| 2,600 cal | 3.5 |
| 2,800 cal | 3.5 |
| 3,000 cal | 4 |
| 3,200 cal | 4 |
Unlike the other groups, vegetable subgroup targets are set per week, so you can spread them out. Here are the weekly cup-equivalents for each subgroup by calorie level, straight from the USDA Healthy US-Style Pattern.
| Calorie level | Dark-green | Red & orange | Beans, peas & lentils | Starchy | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 cal | 0.5 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 1.5 |
| 1,200 cal | 1 | 3 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| 1,400 cal | 1 | 3 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| 1,600 cal | 1.5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3.5 |
| 1,800 cal | 1.5 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 5 | 4 |
| 2,000 cal | 1.5 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 5 | 4 |
| 2,200 cal | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| 2,400 cal | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| 2,600 cal | 2.5 | 7 | 2.5 | 7 | 5.5 |
| 2,800 cal | 2.5 | 7 | 2.5 | 7 | 5.5 |
| 3,000 cal | 2.5 | 7.5 | 3 | 8 | 7 |
| 3,200 cal | 2.5 | 7.5 | 3 | 8 | 7 |
Vegetable subgroup targets are set weekly, not daily, so you can spread them across the week — per the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (Healthy US-Style Pattern). Amounts in cups per week.
Most adults need 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day. The daily-amounts table above shows the target for each USDA calorie level — from 1 cup at 1,000 calories up to 4 cups at 3,000–3,200 calories. Two cups of raw leafy greens count as 1 cup, so a big salad goes further than it looks.
For your exact target, run the free MyPlate Plan calculator.
Both. Beans, peas, and lentils are the one food that counts in either the vegetable group or the protein group — you pick based on the meal.
The practical rule — If beans are the main protein of the meal, count them as protein; if they're a side alongside meat, poultry, or fish, count them as a vegetable. Just don't count the same serving twice.
Yes. White potatoes are a vegetable — specifically a starchy vegetable, the same subgroup as corn and green peas. They count toward your daily vegetables, though the guidelines encourage variety across all five subgroups rather than leaning only on starchy ones.
Dark-green; red and orange; beans, peas and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables. The USDA sets a weekly target for each so you eat a variety, not just one or two kinds.
Yes. One cup of 100% vegetable juice counts as one cup of vegetables. Choose low-sodium options, since juice can be high in salt.
Two cups of raw leafy greens count as one cup-equivalent of vegetables, because they pack down so much when cooked. One cup of cooked spinach also equals one cup.