MyPlate Daily Food Plan and Servings Worksheet: 1,600 Calories

Graphic of plate and cup showing daily food size portions, choosemyplate.gov

You need about 1,600 calories a day. Below are the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for your daily recommended amount of each food group.

Vegetables
2 cups

Fruits
1½ cups

Grains
5 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

  • 4 cups red or orange-colored vegetables

  • 1 cup dry beans and peas

  • 4 cups starchy vegetables

  • 3½ 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 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.choosemyplate.gov

Know your limits on oils (fats) and sugars:

  • Your allowance for oils is 22 grams or 5 teaspoons a day (oil includes vegetable oil, mayonnaise, soft margarine, salad dressing, nuts, olives, avocados, and some fish.)

  • Limit saturated fats to 18 grams a day.

  • Limit extras (solid fats and sugars, also called "empty calories") to 130 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 healthcare provider will likely tell you to limit sodium to no more than 1,500 mg a day.

Get moving and be active!

Aim for 30 to 40 minutes of physical activity 4 to 5 day a week.

MyPlate Servings Worksheet: 1,600 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

4 Half-cups or 4 Servings

One serving is:

  • ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetables

  • 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables (dark green is best)

  • 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

5 Servings or 5 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