MyPlate Worksheet: 3,000 Calories
Your calorie needs are about 3,000 calories a day. Below are the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for your daily recommended amount of each food group.
Vegetables
4 cups | Fruits
2½ cups | Grains
10 ounces | Dairy
3 cups | Protein
7 ounces |
|---|
Eat a variety of vegetables each day. Aim for these amounts each week: 2½ cups dark green vegetables 7½ cups red or orange-colored vegetables 3 cups dry beans and peas 8 cups starchy vegetables 7 cups other vegetables
| Eat a variety of fruits each day. Go easy on fruit juices. Good choices of fruits include: Berries Bananas Apples Melon Dried fruit Frozen fruit Canned fruit
| Choose whole grains whenever you can. Aim to eat at least 5 ounces of whole grains each day: Bread Cereal Rice Pasta Potatoes Tortillas
| Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or cheese each day. Good choices include: Low-fat or fat-free milk or chocolate milk Low-fat or fat-free yogurt Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese or other reduced-fat cheeses Calcium-fortified milk alternatives
| Choose low-fat or lean meats, poultry, fish and seafood each day. Vary your protein. Choose more: Choose less high-fat and red meat. |
Source: USDA MyPlate, www.choosemyplate.gov
Know your limits on oils (fats) and sugars:
Your allowance for oils is 44 grams or about 10 teaspoons a day (oil includes vegetable oil, mayonnaise, soft margarine, salad dressing, nuts, olives, avocados, and some fish).
Limit the extras (solid fats and sugars, also called empty calories) to 470 calories a day.
Cut back on salt (sodium). Stay under 2,300 mg sodium a day. If you have a health condition such as heart disease or high blood pressure, your doctor will likely tell you to limit sodium to no more than 1,500 mg a day.
Get moving and be active!
Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week or 150 minutes of exercise a week.
MyPlate Servings Worksheet: 3,000 Calories
This worksheet tells you how many servings you should get each day from each food group, and tells you how much food makes a serving. Use this as a guide as you plan your meals throughout the day. Track your progress daily by writing in what you actually ate.
Food Group | Daily MyPlate Goal | What You Ate Today |
|---|
Vegetables | 8 Half-cups or 8 Servings One serving is: ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables ½ baked sweet potato ½ cup vegetable juice Note: At meals, fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit. | |
Fruits | 5 Half-cups or 5 Servings One serving is: ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit 1 medium piece of fruit 1 cup of berries or melon ½ cup dried fruit ½ cup 100% fruit juice Note: Make most choices fruit instead of juice. | |
Grains | 10 Servings or 10 Ounces One serving is: 1 slice bread 1 cup dry cereal ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal 1 5-inch tortilla Note: Choose whole grains for at least half of your servings each day. | |
Dairy | 3 Servings or 3 Cups One serving is: 1 cup milk 1½ ounces reduced-fat hard cheese 2 ounces processed cheese 1 cup low-fat yogurt 1/3 cup shredded cheese Note: Choose low-fat or fat-free most often. | |
Protein | 7 Servings or 7 Ounces One serving is: 1 ounce cooked lean beef, pork, lamb, or ham 1 ounce cooked chicken or turkey (no skin) 1 ounce cooked fish or shellfish (not fried) 1 egg ¼ cup egg substitute ½ ounce nuts or seeds 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter ¼ cup cooked dry beans or peas ½ cup tofu 2 tablespoons hummus | |