MyPlate Worksheet: 1,800 Calories

Your calorie needs are about 1,800 calories a day. Below are the USDA guidelines for your daily recommended amount of each food group.

MyPlate graphic showing healthy balance of foods.

Vegetables 2½ cups	Fruits 1½ cups	Grains 6 ounces	Dairy 3 cups	Protein 5 ounces
Eat a variety of vegetables each day. Aim for these amounts each week: 1½ cups dark green vegetables 5½ cups red or orange-colored vegetables 1½ cups dry beans and peas 5 cups starchy vegetables 4 cups other vegetables	Eat a variety of fruits each day. Go easy on fruit juices. Good choices of fruits include: Berries Bananas Apples Melon Dry fruit Frozen fruit Canned fruit	Choose whole grains whenever you can. Aim to eat at least 3 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: Fish and other seafood Lean low-fat meat and poultry Eggs Beans, peas Tofu Unsalted nuts and seeds Choose less high-fat and red meat.

Vegetables 2½ cups

Fruits 1½ cups

Grains 6 ounces

Dairy 3 cups

Protein 5 ounces

Eat a variety of vegetables each day.

Aim for these amounts each week:

1½ cups dark green vegetables
5½ cups red or orange-colored vegetables
1½ cups dry beans and peas
5 cups starchy vegetables
4 cups other vegetables

Eat a variety of fruits each day.

Go easy on fruit juices.

Good choices of fruits include:

Berries
Bananas
Apples
Melon
Dry fruit
Frozen fruit
Canned fruit

Choose whole grains whenever you can.

Aim to eat at least 3 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:

Fish and other seafood
Lean low-fat meat and poultry
Eggs
Beans, peas
Tofu
Unsalted nuts and seeds

Choose less high-fat and red meat.

Source: USDA MyPlate, www.myplate.gov

Know your limits on saturated fat, added sugars, and salt

Your allowance for saturated fat is 20 grams a day.
Limit added sugars to 45 grams 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 moderate exercise a week.

MyPlate servings worksheet: 1,800 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	5 half-cups or 5 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	3 half-cups or 3 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	6 servings or 6 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	5 servings or 5 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

Food group

Daily MyPlate goal

What you ate today

Vegetables

5 half-cups or 5 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

3 half-cups or 3 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

6 servings or 6 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

5 servings or 5 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