MyPlate Worksheet: 2,400 Calories

Your calorie needs are about 2,400 calories a day. These are the USDA guidelines for your daily recommended amount of each food group.

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Your calorie needs are about 2,400 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, 3 cups

Fruits, 2 cups

Grains, 8 ounces

Dairy, 3 cups

Protein, 6½ ounces

Eat a variety of vegetables each day.

Aim for these amounts each week:

  • 2 cups dark green vegetables

  • 6 cups red or orange-colored vegetables

  • 2 cups dry beans and peas

  • 6 cups starchy vegetables

  • 5 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 4 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 milk

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 fats, added sugars, and salt

  • Your allowance for saturated fats is 27 grams a day or less.

  • Limit added sugars to less than 60 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 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 moderate exercise a week.

MyPlate Servings Worksheet: 2,400 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

6 half-cups or 6 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

8 servings or 8 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