Guideline 1: Follow a Healthy Dietary Pattern at Every Life Stage

Vegan Pattern (adapted from Vegetarian pattern)

Units

• Vegetables, Fruits: 1 cup

  • 1 cup raw or cooked vegetable or fruit
  • 1 cup vegetable or fruit juice
  • 2 cups leafy salad greens
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit or vegetable

• Grains: 1 ounce

  • 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
  • 1 ounce dry pasta or rice
  • 1 medium (1 ounce) slice bread, tortilla, or flatbread
  • 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal (~1 cup flaked cereal)

• Protein: 1 ounce

  • 1/4 cup cooked beans or tofu
  • 1 tbsp nut or seed butter
  • 1/2 ounce nuts or seeds

• Vegetables (4 cups per day)

  • Dark green vegetables (1/3 cup per day)
  • Red and orange vegetables (1 cup per day)
  • Beans, peas, lentils (1/2 cup per day)
  • Starchy vegetables (1 cup per day)
  • Other vegetables (1 cup per day)

• Fruits (2.5 cup per day)

• Grains (10 ounce per day)

  • Whole grains (5 ounce per day)
  • Refined grains (5 ounce per day)

• Protein (5 ounce per day)

  • Beans, peas, lentils (1.5 cup per day)
    • Can be considered part of the protein foods group as well as the vegetable group, but should be counted in one group only
  • Soy products (1.5 cup per day)
  • Nuts, seeds (1.5 ounce per day)

• Oils (40 gram per day)

• Other (350 calories)