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