Servings per Day
Recent Canadian Institute for Health Information states that only one out of three people eats 5 to 10 servings per day of fruits and vegetables. In the states, current eating habits show a distortion of the US Food Pyramid with people eating larger amounts of fat and refined grains than recommended.
Here’s a list of recommended servings per day* in Canada and (US):
- Grains—5 to 12 (6 to 11 servings; 6 ounces—includes 3 oz. whole grains)
- Fruits/Vegetables—5 to 10 (5 to 9; 2½ cups vegetables & 2 cups fruit)
- Milk products—2 to 4 ( 2 to 4; 3 cups milk or equivalent)
- Meat/fish/alternatives—2 to 3 (2 to 3; 5½ oz.)
*based on 2,000 calories per day. If following a higher calorie regime, adjust upwards. For example, for a 3200 calorie-a-day diet, the guide recommends 5 to 13 servings per day of fruits and vegetables.
The 2005 revised US Food Pyramid also highlights the value of physical activity to accompany healthy food choices.
Guidelines for both countries stress the importance of eating whole foods rather than processed (e.g., fresh fruit instead of juice; whole grains rather than refined) and of choosing a variety of foods in each group to optimize health. Both also indicate the sparing use of fats and refined sugars, and limited intake of salt, alcohol, and caffeine.
With “super-sizing” the norm, most people are amazed at how little it takes to make a single serving of fruit or vegetable. For guidelines on what constitutes a serving, click here.
