MyPlate Worksheet: 2,800 Calories

Your calorie needs are about 2,800 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, 3½ 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
7 cups red or orange-colored vegetables
2½ cups dry beans and peas
7 cups starchy vegetables
5½ cups other vegetables

Eat a variety of fruits each day.

Go easy on fruit juices.

Good choices of fruits include:

Berries
Bananas
Grapes
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, including soy

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

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

Your allowance for saturated fat is 31 grams a day or less.
Limit added sugars to less than 70 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 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 at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week or 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.

MyPlate Servings Worksheet: 2,800 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	7 Half-cups or 7 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