MyPlate Worksheet: 2,600 Calories

Your calorie needs are about 2,600 calories a day. Below are the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for your daily recommended amount of each food group.

Vegetables
3½ cups

Fruits
2 cups

Grains
9 ounces

Dairy
3 cups

Protein
6½ 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

  • Apples

  • Melon

  • Dried fruit

  • Frozen fruit

  • Canned fruit

Choose whole grains whenever you can.

Aim to eat at least 4½ 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 34 grams or about 8 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 380 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: 2,600 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

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

4 half-cups or 4 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

9 servings or 9 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

6½ servings or 6½ 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

 
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