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This list of vegetables follows the five vegetable subgroups of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Each subgroup below quotes its definition and examples, with links to our single-food guides, and the table ranks 25 USDA FoodData Central entries by fiber inside each subgroup, with FDC IDs, potassium and vitamins C and A. Our list of fruits covers the fruit group.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, sort vegetables into five subgroups: dark-green; red and orange; beans, peas and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables.
- Per cup in USDA data, boiled lentils list about 15.6 grams of dietary fiber, 56% of the FDA Daily Value, the most of the 25 entries in the table.
- A cup of chopped raw red bell peppers lists about 190.3 milligrams of vitamin C in USDA data, 211% of the FDA Daily Value.
- The Dietary Guidelines place tomatoes in the red and orange subgroup and avocado with other vegetables.
The five vegetable subgroups in the Dietary Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, published by USDA and HHS, recommend vegetables of all types, and an appendix defines each subgroup; the definitions below are quoted as written. The 2025-2030 edition tells readers to eat whole vegetables and fruits in their original form and to wash them thoroughly prior to eating raw or cooking, but it does not repeat the subgroup lists, so this vegetables list uses the 2020-2025 definitions.
List of vegetables by subgroup
- Dark-green vegetables: “all fresh, frozen, and canned dark-green leafy vegetables and broccoli, cooked or raw,” in the words of the Dietary Guidelines. Their examples include amaranth leaves, basil, beet greens, bok choy, broccoli, chard, cilantro, collards, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, taro leaves, turnip greens and watercress.
- Red and orange vegetables: “all fresh, frozen, and canned red and orange vegetables or juice, cooked or raw,” which the Dietary Guidelines illustrate with calabaza, carrots, red chili peppers, red or orange bell peppers, pimiento, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tomato juice that is 100% juice in this USDA and HHS list, and winter squash such as acorn, butternut, kabocha and pumpkin.
- Beans, peas, lentils: “all cooked from dry or canned beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils,” for example black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, edamame, fava beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pinto beans, split peas and soybeans. The Dietary Guidelines add that this subgroup does not include green beans or green peas.
- Starchy subgroup: “all fresh, frozen, and canned starchy vegetables” in the Dietary Guidelines definition, for example breadfruit, burdock root, cassava, corn, jicama, lotus root, lima beans, immature peas such as green peas, plantains, white potatoes, salsify, taro root, water chestnuts, yam and yucca.
- Other vegetables: “all other fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables, cooked or raw,” which the Dietary Guidelines illustrate with artichoke, asparagus, avocado, beets, bitter melon, Brussels sprouts, green, red, napa and savoy cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, fennel bulb, garlic, green beans, iceberg lettuce, kohlrabi, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, radish, rutabaga, seaweed, snow peas, summer squash, tomatillos and turnips.
Vegetables list with USDA values by subgroup
The table lists 25 USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries, three to nine per subgroup in the Dietary Guidelines sequence, ranked by dietary fiber per serving inside each subgroup. Servings are one USDA cup, except one medium baked potato, and cooked rows are boiled or baked without salt. Each percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4 and older: 28 grams of dietary fiber, 4,700 milligrams of potassium, 90 milligrams of vitamin C and 900 micrograms RAE of vitamin A.
| Vegetable (USDA FDC ID) | Subgroup | Serving | Calories | Fiber | Potassium | Vitamin C | Vitamin A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collards, boiled, chopped (170407) | Dark-green | 1 cup, 190 g | 63 | 7.6 g (27%) | 222 mg (5%) | 34.6 mg (38%) | 722 mcg RAE (80%) |
| Broccoli, boiled, chopped (169967) | Dark-green | 1 cup, 156 g | 55 | 5.1 g (18%) | 457 mg (10%) | 101.2 mg (112%) | 120 mcg RAE (13%) |
| Spinach, boiled (168463) | Dark-green | 1 cup, 180 g | 41 | 4.3 g (15%) | 839 mg (18%) | 17.6 mg (20%) | 943 mcg RAE (105%) |
| Bok choy (pak-choi), boiled, shredded (170391) | Dark-green | 1 cup, 170 g | 20 | 1.7 g (6%) | 631 mg (13%) | 44.2 mg (49%) | 360 mcg RAE (40%) |
| Sweet potato, baked in skin, flesh (168483) | Red and orange | 1 cup, 200 g | 180 | 6.6 g (24%) | 950 mg (20%) | 39.2 mg (44%) | 1,922 mcg RAE (214%) |
| Squash, winter, butternut, baked, cubes (169296) | Red and orange | 1 cup, 205 g | 82 | 6.6 g (23%) | 582 mg (12%) | 31.0 mg (34%) | 1,144 mcg RAE (127%) |
| Carrots, raw, chopped (170393) | Red and orange | 1 cup, 128 g | 52 | 3.6 g (13%) | 410 mg (9%) | 7.6 mg (8%) | 1,069 mcg RAE (119%) |
| Peppers, sweet, red, raw, chopped (170108) | Red and orange | 1 cup, 149 g | 39 | 3.1 g (11%) | 314 mg (7%) | 190.3 mg (211%) | 234 mcg RAE (26%) |
| Tomatoes, red, raw, chopped (170457) | Red and orange | 1 cup, 180 g | 32 | 2.2 g (8%) | 427 mg (9%) | 24.7 mg (27%) | 76 mcg RAE (8%) |
| Lentils, boiled (172421) | Beans, peas, lentils | 1 cup, 198 g | 230 | 15.6 g (56%) | 731 mg (16%) | 3.0 mg (3%) | 0 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Black beans, boiled (173735) | Beans, peas, lentils | 1 cup, 172 g | 227 | 15.0 g (53%) | 611 mg (13%) | 0.0 mg (0%) | 0 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Chickpeas, boiled (173757) | Beans, peas, lentils | 1 cup, 164 g | 269 | 12.5 g (45%) | 477 mg (10%) | 2.1 mg (2%) | 2 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Peas, green, boiled (170420) | Starchy | 1 cup, 160 g | 134 | 8.8 g (31%) | 434 mg (9%) | 22.7 mg (25%) | 64 mcg RAE (7%) |
| Potato, baked, flesh and skin (170093) | Starchy | 1 medium, 173 g | 161 | 3.8 g (14%) | 926 mg (20%) | 16.6 mg (18%) | 2 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Corn, sweet, yellow, boiled, cut (169999) | Starchy | 1 cup, 149 g | 143 | 3.6 g (13%) | 325 mg (7%) | 8.2 mg (9%) | 19 mcg RAE (2%) |
| Plantains, yellow, baked (169131) | Starchy | 1 cup, 139 g | 215 | 3.1 g (11%) | 663 mg (14%) | 22.8 mg (25%) | 63 mcg RAE (7%) |
| Avocados, raw, cubes (171705) | Other | 1 cup, 150 g | 240 | 10.1 g (36%) | 728 mg (15%) | 15.0 mg (17%) | 10 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Green beans (snap), boiled (169141) | Other | 1 cup, 125 g | 44 | 4.0 g (14%) | 182 mg (4%) | 12.1 mg (13%) | 40 mcg RAE (4%) |
| Beets, boiled, slices (169146) | Other | 1 cup, 170 g | 75 | 3.4 g (12%) | 518 mg (11%) | 6.1 mg (7%) | 3 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Onions, raw, chopped (170000) | Other | 1 cup, 160 g | 64 | 2.7 g (10%) | 234 mg (5%) | 11.8 mg (13%) | 0 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Cabbage, green, raw, chopped (169975) | Other | 1 cup, 89 g | 22 | 2.2 g (8%) | 151 mg (3%) | 32.6 mg (36%) | 4 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Cauliflower, raw, chopped (169986) | Other | 1 cup, 107 g | 27 | 2.1 g (8%) | 320 mg (7%) | 51.6 mg (57%) | 0 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Zucchini, raw, chopped (169291) | Other | 1 cup, 124 g | 21 | 1.2 g (4%) | 324 mg (7%) | 22.2 mg (25%) | 12 mcg RAE (1%) |
| Mushrooms, white, raw, pieces (169251) | Other | 1 cup, 70 g | 15 | 0.7 g (2%) | 223 mg (5%) | 1.5 mg (2%) | 0 mcg RAE (0%) |
| Cucumber, with peel, raw, slices (168409) | Other | 1 cup, 104 g | 16 | 0.5 g (2%) | 153 mg (3%) | 2.9 mg (3%) | 5 mcg RAE (1%) |
The spread inside a Dietary Guidelines subgroup can be wide. In USDA data the three bean, pea and lentil rows list about 12.5 to 15.6 grams of fiber per cup, while among the other vegetables a cup of raw cucumber slices lists 0.5 grams and a cup of avocado cubes 10.1 grams.
Vitamins and minerals that stand out
- Vitamin C: a cup of chopped raw red bell peppers lists about 190.3 milligrams in USDA data, 211% of the FDA Daily Value; our vitamin C foods list ranks more foods.
- Vitamin A: the orange rows lead in USDA data, with about 1,922 micrograms RAE for a cup of baked sweet potatoes, 1,144 for baked butternut squash and 1,069 for raw carrots; see our vitamin A foods list.
- Potassium: a cup of baked sweet potatoes lists about 950 milligrams in USDA data, a medium baked potato 926, against the FDA Daily Value of 4,700 milligrams; see our potassium foods list.
- Fiber: the bean, pea and lentil rows list the most per cup in USDA data, and our high fiber vegetables list ranks more of them.
- Calories: a cup of raw cucumber slices lists about 16 calories in USDA data and a cup of avocado cubes about 240; our low calorie vegetables list ranks more.
Fresh, frozen, canned or cooked
Every subgroup definition in the Dietary Guidelines covers fresh, frozen and canned forms. The Dietary Guidelines count 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables, 1 cup of vegetable juice or 2 cups of leafy greens for salads as 1 cup equivalent of vegetables. The 2025-2030 edition adds that frozen, dried, or canned vegetables or fruits with no or very limited added sugars can also be good options. USDA SR Legacy values are averages for each entry, and the Nutrition Facts label is the figure for a packaged or canned product.
More guides by vegetable family
- Plant families: our guides to cruciferous vegetables, nightshade vegetables and the onion family sort vegetables by family rather than by Dietary Guidelines subgroup, and root vegetables, leafy greens and edible mushrooms have their own lists.
- Starch and protein: starchy vegetables explains the starchy subgroup of the Dietary Guidelines, and legumes and bean types cover the beans, peas and lentils subgroup.
- Variety guides: squash, peppers, potatoes, types of sweet potatoes, tomato types, cucumber types, cabbage types, kale types, corn types, pea types and seaweed types.
- Preserved vegetables: pickled vegetables and fermented vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many vegetable subgroups do the Dietary Guidelines use?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, use five: dark-green; red and orange; beans, peas and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables.
Do beans count as vegetables or protein foods?
Either, in the Dietary Guidelines: beans, peas and lentils can be counted toward the vegetable group or the protein foods group, but in one group only.
Which vegetables rank first in each Dietary Guidelines subgroup?
By USDA dietary fiber per cup within the Dietary Guidelines subgroups, collards lead the dark-green rows at about 7.6 grams, baked sweet potatoes the red and orange rows at 6.6 grams, lentils their subgroup at 15.6 grams, boiled peas the starchy rows at 8.8 grams and avocado the other vegetables at 10.1 grams.
Which vegetable lists the most vitamin C per cup?
In this table, a cup of chopped raw red bell peppers lists about 190.3 milligrams in USDA data, 211% of the FDA Daily Value.
What is a cup equivalent in the Dietary Guidelines?
The Dietary Guidelines count 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of salad leaves, as 1 cup equivalent.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: List of Fruits: The Fruit Group With USDA Nutrition Values, Cruciferous Vegetables List: The Mustard Family and USDA Data, Root Vegetables List: True Roots, Tubers and USDA Values, Leafy Greens: USDA List of Dark Greens, Spinach vs Kale and Tips.