Food Group Daily Requirements

Measurements

The daily requirements listed below are guidelines (not rules) for approximate requirements of each food type, by age and gender.

Daily requirements change rapidly between birth and 2 years of age, so we recommend you check out the age-specific meal plans for those ages. Otherwise, this time is used to introduce solids and develop healthy eating habits as a priority. Just make sure your child is getting enough calories and nutrients overall, is gaining weight as expected and producing dirty diapers consistently.

For everyone else, again, the below should serve as a guide, but everyone is different – some are naturally bigger and some naturally smaller. Some people eat a little more, and some less. And if you or your child eat more or less on any given day, that’s nothing to panic about.

Click here to see portion size guides for each of the food groups below.

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Daily Requirements for Boys / Men

Age	Fruit	Veg	Grains	Protein	Dairy	Fats/Oils
2 – 3	1 cup	1 cups	3 oz eq.	2 oz eq.	2 cups	3 tsp
4 – 8	1–1.5 cups	1.5 cups	5 oz eq.	4 oz eq.	2.5 cups	4 tsp
9 – 13	1.5 cups	2.5 cups	6 oz eq.	5 oz eq.	3 cups	5 tsp
14 – 18	2 cups	3 cups	8 oz eq.	6.5 oz eq.	3 cups	6 tsp
19 – 30	2 cups	3 cups	8 oz eq.	6.5 oz eq.	3 cups	7 tsp
31 – 50	2 cups	3 cups	7 oz eq.	6 oz eq.	3 cups	6 tsp
51+	2 cups	2.5 cups	6 oz eq.	5.5 oz eq.	3 cups	6 tsp

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Daily Requirements for Girls / Women

Age	Fruit	Veg	Grains	Protein	Dairy	Fats/Oils
2 – 3	1 cup	1 cups	3 oz	2 oz	2 cups	3 tsp
4 – 8	1–1.5 cups	1.5 cups	5 oz	4 oz	2.5 cups	4 tsp
9 – 13	1.5 cups	2 cups	5 oz	5 oz	3 cups	5 tsp
14 – 18	1.5 cups	2.5 cups	6 oz	5 oz	3 cups	5 tsp
19 – 30	2 cups	2.5 cups	6 oz	5.5 oz	3 cups	6 tsp
31 – 50	1.5 cups	2.5 cups	6 oz	5 oz	3 cups	5 tsp
51+	1.5 cups	2 cups	5 oz	5 oz	3 cups	5 tsp

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Resources

1. https://www.choosemyplate.gov