Table 4.
Dietary recommendations for food groups of plant origin established by the international food guides selected in the present work.
| Country/Region | Food Groups of Plant Origin | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruits | Vegetables | Starchy Foods | Legumes | Nuts | Soy Products | ||
| United States | 2 cups-eq/day | 2½ cups-eq/day | 6 oz-eq/day | 1½ cups-eq/week | 5 oz-eq/week | ||
| China | 200–350 g/day | 300–500 g/day (150–250 g of dark green vegetables) | 250–400 g/day (50–150 g of whole grains and legumes, 50–100 g of tubers) | - | At least 25 g/day | ||
| Finland | >500 g/day (potatoes not included) | - | - | - | - | ||
| Norway | At least 5 servings/day | - | - | - | n.a. | ||
| Sweden | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| United Kingdom | At least 5 servings/day | - | - | - | - | ||
| Germany | At least 5 servings/day | - | - | - | - | ||
| The Netherlands | At least 200 g/day | At least 200 g/day | At least 90 g/day of whole grain bread or other whole grain products | - | At least 15 g/day of unsalted nuts | - | |
| France | At least 5 servings/day (80–100 g/day) | 1 portion/meal | - | A handful/day | - | ||
| Portugal | 3–5 servings/day (1 piece of fruit; medium size = 160 g) | 3–5 servings/day (2 cups of raw vegetables = 180 g/day; 1 cup of cooked vegetables = 140 g/day) | 4–11 servings/day (1 loaf of bread = 50 g; 1 thin slice of corn bread = 70 g; 1 and 1/2 potato (medium size = 125 g); 5 tablespoons of breakfast cereal = 35 g; 6 biscuits = 35 g; 2 tablespoons of uncooked rice/pasta = 35 g; 4 tablespoons of cooked rice/pasta = 110 g) | 1–2 servings/day (1 tablespoon of dried raw legumes (chickpeas, beans, lentils) = 25 g; 3 tablespoons of fresh raw legumes (peas, beans) = 80 g; 3 tablespoons of cooked/fresh legumes = 80 g) | - | - | |
| Italy | 2–3 servings/day (1 serving = 150 g) | 2½–3 servings/day (1 serving = 200 g) | 2½–4½ servings bread/day (1 serving = 50 g)1–1½ servings rice and/or pasta/day (1 serving = 80 g)1½–3 servings breakfast cereals/week (1 serving = 30 g)1–2 servings potatoes/week (1 serving = 200 g) | 3 servings/week (1 serving = 150 g) | 1–1½ servings/week (1 serving = 30 g) | - | |
| Spain | AESAN | 3 servings/day (120 g or a medium piece/a slice of pineapple/two slices melon/watermelon; 150 mL of fresh fruit juice) | 2 servings/day (150 g raw in the form of a salad (tomato, lettuce, etc.); 1 serving of sautéed/cooked vegetables as a main course or as garnish of meat, fish or eggs (zucchini, green beans, etc.) | - | At least 2–3 times/week | - | - |
| GENCAT | 3 servings/day = 1 piece of fruit (1 orange, apple; 2–3 apricots, tangerines, plums, etc.); or 1 bowl cherries, strawberries, grapes; or 1–2 slices of melon, watermelon, pineapple) | 2 servings/day (1 dish of cooked vegetables (green beans, puree, stew); 1–2 tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers; 1 pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 eggplant) | - | At least 3–4 times/week | A handful/day; 3–7 handfuls/week | - | |
n.a.: Information not available in the official English version of the National Dietary Guidelines; -: food or food group not mentioned in the National Dietary Guidelines; c-eq: cup-equivalents; oz-eq = ounce-equivalents.