This is a list of the exchanges that certain foods are worth. This is meant to act as a aid in meal planning, but it does not tell you your individual nutritional needs. This is the job of a nutritionist, who can help you create your own meal plan.
For more information about the exchange system, please click here.
Lean Proteins: The following count as 1 protein exchange.
any cheese <5g fat - 1 oz
any fish, not fried - 1 oz
chicken/turkey (skinless) or deli meats - 1 oz
cottage cheese <5g fat - 1/4 cup
egg substitutes - 1/4 cup pre-cooking
egg whites - 2
hot dog <5g fat - 1
pork tenderloin - 1 oz
soy products <5g fat - 1oz
tofu <5g fat - 2 oz
Proteins with Fat: The following count as 1 protein & 1 fat exchange.
any cheese >5g fat - 1 oz
any fish/chicken/turkey fried - 1 oz
cottage cheese >5g fat - 1/4 cup
deli meats >5g fat - 1 oz
hot dog >5g fat - 1
pork/beef/sausage - 1 oz
soy products >5g fat - 1 oz
tempeh - 1/4 cup
tofu >5g fat - 2 oz
whole eggs - 1
Proteins with Grains: The following count as 1 protein and 1 grain exchange.
baked beans - 1/2 cup
black/navy/kidney beans - 1/2 cup
chickpeas - 3/4 cup
lima beans/lentils - 1/2 cup
refried beans - 1/2 cup
Vegetables: The following count as 1 vegetable exchange.
100% veggie juice - 1/2 cup (4 fl oz)
any veggie, cooked - 1/2 cup
any veggie, raw - 1 cup
salsa - 1/3 cup
tomato sauce - 1/3 cup
V8 - 1/2 cup (4 fl oz)
Fruits: The following count as 1 fruit exchange.
100% fruit juice - 1/2 cup (4 fl oz)
apples (dried) - 4 rings
apple - 1
applesauce - 1/2 cup
apricots - 4
banana - 1 small or 1/2 large
black/blueberries - 3/4 cup
canned fruit - 1/2 cup drained
cantaloupe/honeydew - 1 cup
grapefruit - 1/2 each
grapes - 3 oz (~17 grapes)
kiwi/plums - 2
orange/nectarine - 1
mango - 1/2 cup
papaya - 1 cup
peach/pear - 1
pineapple - 3/4 cup
raisins - 2 tbsp
rasp/strawberries - 1 cup
tangerines - 2
watermelon - 1 1/4 cup
Grains: The following count as 1 grain exchange.
animal crackers - 8
bagel - 1/2 to 1/4 depending on size
baked potato - 1 small
bran cereal - 1/2 cup
bread stick - 1
bread - 1 slice
buns(hotdog/hamburger) - 1/2
candy <5g fat - 1 oz
corn - 1/2 ear, 1/2 cup canned
cream of wheat - 1/2 cup
croutons - 1 cup
dinner roll - 1
english muffin - 1/2 muffin
fat-free pudding - 1/2 cup
frozen yogurt - 1/2 cup
fruit snacks - 3/4 oz
graham crackers - 3, 2 1/2" squares
granola, low-fat - 1/4 cup
green peas - 3/4 cup canned
grits/oatmeal - 1/2 cup
jello - 1/2 cup
low-fat chips - 1 oz
pasta - 1/2 cup
pita -1/2 serving
popcorn - 3 cups popped
pretzels - 2 rods or 3/4 oz
quinoa - 1/3 cup
rice - 1/3 cup
rice cakes - 2
saltines - 8
sherbet/sorbet - 1/4 cup
sweetened cereal - 1/2 cup
tortilla - 1 or 2 depending on size
unsweetened cereal - 3/4 cup
wheat crackers - 3/4 oz
yam(sweet potato) - 1/2 cup
Fats: The following count as 1 fat exchange.
almonds - 6 whole or 1 tbsp sliced
avocado/guacamole - 1 oz
bacon - 1 slice
butter - 1 tsp (1 pat)
butter, whipped - 2 tsp
coconut, shredded - 2 tbsp
cream cheese - 1 tbsp
cream cheese, whipped - 2 tbsp
margarine, reg - 2 tsp
margarine, 30-50% oil - 1 tbsp
mayonaise - 1 tsp
nutella - 1 tbsp
oil, any - 1 tsp
olives - 8-10 depending on size
peanuts - 10 whole nuts
peanut butter - 2 tsp
pecans - 4 halves
pumpkin seeds - 1tbsp
salad dressing - 1 tbsp
sour cream - 1 tbsp
sunflower seeds - 1 tbsp
tahini - 2 tsp
Skim Dairy: The following count as 1 dairy exchange.
any cheese <5g fat - 1 oz
any milk <5g fat - 1 cup
any yogurt <5g fat - 1 cup
Low-Fat/Whole Dairy: The following count as 1 dairy and 1 fat exchange.
any cheese >5g fat - 1 oz
any milk >5g fat - 1 cup
any yogurt >5g fat - 1 cup
For more information about the exchange system, please click here.
Lean Proteins: The following count as 1 protein exchange.
any cheese <5g fat - 1 oz
any fish, not fried - 1 oz
chicken/turkey (skinless) or deli meats - 1 oz
cottage cheese <5g fat - 1/4 cup
egg substitutes - 1/4 cup pre-cooking
egg whites - 2
hot dog <5g fat - 1
pork tenderloin - 1 oz
soy products <5g fat - 1oz
tofu <5g fat - 2 oz
Proteins with Fat: The following count as 1 protein & 1 fat exchange.
any cheese >5g fat - 1 oz
any fish/chicken/turkey fried - 1 oz
cottage cheese >5g fat - 1/4 cup
deli meats >5g fat - 1 oz
hot dog >5g fat - 1
pork/beef/sausage - 1 oz
soy products >5g fat - 1 oz
tempeh - 1/4 cup
tofu >5g fat - 2 oz
whole eggs - 1
Proteins with Grains: The following count as 1 protein and 1 grain exchange.
baked beans - 1/2 cup
black/navy/kidney beans - 1/2 cup
chickpeas - 3/4 cup
lima beans/lentils - 1/2 cup
refried beans - 1/2 cup
Vegetables: The following count as 1 vegetable exchange.
100% veggie juice - 1/2 cup (4 fl oz)
any veggie, cooked - 1/2 cup
any veggie, raw - 1 cup
salsa - 1/3 cup
tomato sauce - 1/3 cup
V8 - 1/2 cup (4 fl oz)
Fruits: The following count as 1 fruit exchange.
100% fruit juice - 1/2 cup (4 fl oz)
apples (dried) - 4 rings
apple - 1
applesauce - 1/2 cup
apricots - 4
banana - 1 small or 1/2 large
black/blueberries - 3/4 cup
canned fruit - 1/2 cup drained
cantaloupe/honeydew - 1 cup
grapefruit - 1/2 each
grapes - 3 oz (~17 grapes)
kiwi/plums - 2
orange/nectarine - 1
mango - 1/2 cup
papaya - 1 cup
peach/pear - 1
pineapple - 3/4 cup
raisins - 2 tbsp
rasp/strawberries - 1 cup
tangerines - 2
watermelon - 1 1/4 cup
Grains: The following count as 1 grain exchange.
animal crackers - 8
bagel - 1/2 to 1/4 depending on size
baked potato - 1 small
bran cereal - 1/2 cup
bread stick - 1
bread - 1 slice
buns(hotdog/hamburger) - 1/2
candy <5g fat - 1 oz
corn - 1/2 ear, 1/2 cup canned
cream of wheat - 1/2 cup
croutons - 1 cup
dinner roll - 1
english muffin - 1/2 muffin
fat-free pudding - 1/2 cup
frozen yogurt - 1/2 cup
fruit snacks - 3/4 oz
graham crackers - 3, 2 1/2" squares
granola, low-fat - 1/4 cup
green peas - 3/4 cup canned
grits/oatmeal - 1/2 cup
jello - 1/2 cup
low-fat chips - 1 oz
pasta - 1/2 cup
pita -1/2 serving
popcorn - 3 cups popped
pretzels - 2 rods or 3/4 oz
quinoa - 1/3 cup
rice - 1/3 cup
rice cakes - 2
saltines - 8
sherbet/sorbet - 1/4 cup
sweetened cereal - 1/2 cup
tortilla - 1 or 2 depending on size
unsweetened cereal - 3/4 cup
wheat crackers - 3/4 oz
yam(sweet potato) - 1/2 cup
Fats: The following count as 1 fat exchange.
almonds - 6 whole or 1 tbsp sliced
avocado/guacamole - 1 oz
bacon - 1 slice
butter - 1 tsp (1 pat)
butter, whipped - 2 tsp
coconut, shredded - 2 tbsp
cream cheese - 1 tbsp
cream cheese, whipped - 2 tbsp
margarine, reg - 2 tsp
margarine, 30-50% oil - 1 tbsp
mayonaise - 1 tsp
nutella - 1 tbsp
oil, any - 1 tsp
olives - 8-10 depending on size
peanuts - 10 whole nuts
peanut butter - 2 tsp
pecans - 4 halves
pumpkin seeds - 1tbsp
salad dressing - 1 tbsp
sour cream - 1 tbsp
sunflower seeds - 1 tbsp
tahini - 2 tsp
Skim Dairy: The following count as 1 dairy exchange.
any cheese <5g fat - 1 oz
any milk <5g fat - 1 cup
any yogurt <5g fat - 1 cup
Low-Fat/Whole Dairy: The following count as 1 dairy and 1 fat exchange.
any cheese >5g fat - 1 oz
any milk >5g fat - 1 cup
any yogurt >5g fat - 1 cup