The Serving Size for Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables (2024)

By Paula Martinac Updated December 02, 2018

Dark green, leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, collards and chard make a smart addition to any healthy diet. These nutrient-packed veggies contribute to overall good health and may even help prevent chronic illness. The specific serving size depends on whether you eat them raw or cooked, and the number of servings you eat a day corresponds to your age, gender and physical activity.

Recommended Vegetable Servings

The U.S. Department of Agriculture counts all vegetables – raw, cooked, canned and frozen – as well as 100 percent vegetable juices in the vegetable group of its MyPlate nutrition tool. According to USDA recommendations, women who are active for fewer than 30 minutes a day need to consume 3 cups of veggies daily if they are under 30, and 2½ cups up to age 50. Less active men under 50 should get 3 cups a day. The more active you are, the more vegetables you can eat without exceeding your daily energy needs because you will burn off the calories.

The USDA makes weekly recommendations for individual vegetable types. So, of the 18 to 21 total cups of vegetables you eat in a week, the USDA suggests at least 1½ to 2 cups come from the dark leafy greens subgroup.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetable Serving Size

According to the American Heart Association, a serving of a raw, green leafy vegetables like romaine lettuce, arugula or spinach is 1 cup. The serving size for all cooked veggies (fresh, frozen and canned) is ½ cup. If you start your morning with fresh veggie juice made with kale or spinach or use it as a pick-me-up later in the day, you should also stick to a ½-cup serving.

Types of Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Nature offers a variety of dark green veggies to choose from, so you can vary what you eat daily and weekly and never get bored. Among the many types are arugula (also called rocket), bok choy, broccoli and broccolini, collards, kale, mesclun greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip and mustard greens and watercress. Some greens, like arugula and spinach, work well raw in salads, while collard and mustard greens may taste bitter to you unless they’re steamed or lightly sautéed. Many supermarkets carry sweeter “baby” versions of greens like kale and Swiss chard for use in salads and smoothies.

Benefits of Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

All dark leafy greens are low in calories and provide health benefits based on their nutrient density. They’re especially known for their high content of vitamin K, which helps build bones and assists with blood-clotting, and folate, which protects against birth defects. According to the USDA Agricultural Research Service, research suggests the antioxidant content of dark leafy greens may protect against chronic illnesses like heart disease and some types of cancer, especially if you eat at least two to three servings a week.

While this veggie subgroup as a whole offers numerous benefits, the Duke Diet and Exercise Center in Durham, N.C., ranked all dark leafy greens on an Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI), a scoring system that lists foods from the most nutrient dense to the least. The Center came up with the following list of top-ranked greens; among them, kale and five others scored a perfect 1,000 on the ANDI scale.