It is my understanding that the new recommendation for fruits and veggies is 9-14 servings. But when I look at the website of the various organizations, cancer, heart… I’m finding that it is still 5. So, what is the recommendation. And, when dealing with children, is it less, or are the serving sizes just smaller? Thanks, K

The recommended amount for most adults is 7 to 13 servings a day, depending on age and activity level. The amount for younger children is usually less, also depending on age and activity level. Recommendations through other organizations usually say 5 or more to include the different needs of various age groups with different caloric needs. Our section on “How much do you need?” will tell you what you should be eating each day, based on MyPyramid recommendations. A quick rule of thumb is that almost ½ of what you eat every day should be fruit, vegetables (including beans) – so ½ your plate should be fruits/vegetables, ½ your sack lunch, even ½ your grocery cart. So those jars of spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce count, along with those cans of beans – all in addition to the other fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables and 100% fruit or vegetable juice.