Eat Well tools
Daily Whole-Food Checklist
A simple tap-to-check tracker for 19 daily servings across 10 whole-food groups. The targets are our own, built on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate.
This week
Today’s checklist
The targets and why
| Group | Per day | One serving |
|---|---|---|
| 🥕 Vegetables | 3 | ½ cup cooked or chopped raw vegetables, e.g. carrots, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, squash |
| 🥬 Leafy greens | 1 | 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked spinach, kale, chard, collards, romaine or arugula |
| 🍎 Fruit | 1 | 1 medium fruit or 1 cup chopped fresh, frozen or canned-in-juice fruit |
| 🫐 Berries | 1 | 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries |
| 🫘 Beans and legumes | 1 | ½ cup cooked beans, lentils, chickpeas or edamame, or ¼ cup hummus |
| 🌾 Whole grains | 3 | 1 slice whole-grain bread, ½ cup cooked oats, brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat pasta |
| 🥜 Nuts and seeds | 1 | 1 oz (a small handful) nuts, 2 Tbsp nut butter or 1 Tbsp ground flax or chia |
| 🥛 Fermented food | 1 | ¾ cup plain yogurt or kefir, or ¼ cup kimchi, sauerkraut or miso soup |
| 💧 Water | 6 | 1 cup (8 oz) water, unsweetened tea or coffee; needs vary with size, activity and climate |
| 🌿 Herbs and spices | 1 | Season at least one meal with herbs or spices such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, cinnamon or basil |
- Vegetables, greens and fruit: the Dietary Guidelines suggest about 2½ cup-equivalents of vegetables and 2 of fruit a day at 2,000 calories, and Harvard’s plate fills half of each meal with them. Our 3 + 1 vegetable boxes and 1 + 1 fruit boxes land close to that.
- Whole grains: the Guidelines advise making at least half of grains whole (about 3 oz-equivalents at 2,000 calories), and Harvard’s plate gives a quarter of the plate to whole grains.
- Beans, nuts and seeds: both sources highlight plant proteins. Legumes also count toward vegetables in the Guidelines.
- Fermented food, herbs and spices: these are our additions to encourage variety. They aren’t formal guideline targets.
- Water: Harvard’s plate recommends water as the main drink. Fluid needs vary, and food provides some water too.
Calorie needs differ, so adjust portions to your appetite, age and activity. This checklist focuses on adding whole foods. It doesn’t count calories or replace a personalized plan.
Check with a clinician first if: you have chronic kidney disease (potassium, phosphorus and fluid targets may be limited), heart failure or a fluid restriction, are pregnant or breastfeeding (some fermented or unpasteurized foods and certain fish need care), take blood thinners such as warfarin (keep leafy-green vitamin K intake consistent), have IBS or digestive conditions (legumes and fiber may need a gradual increase), or have food allergies. Children have different serving sizes.
This tool is for general education and isn’t medical advice. See our medical disclaimer, and talk with a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs.
📄 Free printable PDF
Download the Daily Whole-Food Checklist: Weekly Tracker as a one-page printable guide, or browse all our free guides.
Sources
- U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source: Healthy Eating Plate. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-eating-plate/
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source: Whole Grains. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/whole-grains/
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source: Water. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/water/
- World Health Organization, Healthy diet fact sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
- NIDDK, Eating Right for Chronic Kidney Disease. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/eating-nutrition
- U.S. FDA, Advice about Eating Fish (pregnancy and childhood). https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish