What do 800 grams of produce look like?: A Visual Guide to the 800g Challenge

October 17, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2017 meta-analysis, consuming up to 800 grams of fruits and vegetables daily was associated with a significantly reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, and premature death. This guide will help you visualize and understand what do 800 grams of produce look like, making this powerful health goal feel more achievable.

Quick Summary

An 800-gram daily intake of produce, a goal of the #800gChallenge, is roughly equivalent to six cups or two dinner plates' worth of fruits and vegetables. This intake is often spread across three meals and snacks to improve diet quality and satiety.

Key Points

Six Cups a Day: 800 grams of produce is roughly equivalent to six cups, or six adult-sized fists, of non-leafy fruits and vegetables.
Break It Down: A simple strategy is to aim for about two cups of produce with each of your main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
High-Density vs. Low-Density: Heavier items like bananas and potatoes contribute weight quickly, while lighter foods like leafy greens require a larger volume.
Doesn't Count: Some processed items made with produce, like dried fruit or store-bought juices with added sugar, do not count toward the 800g total.
Cumulative Benefits: Starting with a smaller goal and gradually increasing produce intake offers significant health benefits, even if you don't hit 800g immediately.
Hydration: At 70-90% water, consuming 800 grams of produce significantly contributes to your daily hydration.
Flexibility: The 800g Challenge is inclusive and allows for personal food preferences, including different types of fruits, vegetables, and preparation methods.

The #800gChallenge®, popularized by OptimizeMe Nutrition, encourages people to consume 800 grams of fruits and vegetables, by weight, each day. The concept is simple: eat 800g of produce, measured by weight, while continuing to eat whatever else you want. The specific number is backed by a large-scale meta-analysis linking higher fruit and vegetable consumption with reduced risks of several diseases. While a food scale offers the most accuracy, visualizing this amount can be key to forming a new habit. It’s also important to remember that perfection is not the goal; simply adding more produce where you can is a massive step forward.

The Visual Equivalent of 800 Grams

For most people, the metric of 800 grams (about 1.75 pounds or 28 ounces) can seem daunting and abstract. However, there are a few simple visual cues that can help you hit this target without having to weigh every single item.

The Cup Rule: A closed adult fist is a good approximation for one cup of fruits or vegetables. This means that 800 grams is roughly equivalent to six cups of produce daily.
The Dinner Plate Method: If you were to pile all 800 grams on one plate, it would likely fit on a standard dinner plate. However, trying to eat it all in one sitting is not the recommended approach.
The Handfuls: For a less-precise but still effective method, aim for one large handful at breakfast and two large handfuls at both lunch and dinner.

Visualizing 800g Across Your Day

Spreading your produce intake throughout the day is the most sustainable strategy. Here is what a day of hitting 800 grams of produce could look like, using a variety of fruits and vegetables:

A Sample Day of 800g Produce

Breakfast (approx. 200g):
- 1 medium banana (approx. 120g)
- Handful of berries mixed into yogurt (approx. 80g)
Lunch (approx. 300g):
- Large salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber (approx. 150g)
- 1/2 an avocado (approx. 100g)
- 1 medium carrot, grated (approx. 50g)
Dinner (approx. 300g):
- 1.5 cups roasted broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower (approx. 200g)
- Side of cooked black beans (approx. 100g)

Comparing High-Density vs. Low-Density Produce

Not all produce is equal when it comes to weight. Some items are naturally heavier and more water-dense, making it easier to hit your 800g goal quickly. Others are much lighter and require a larger volume to contribute significantly to the total weight.


High-Density Produce (Easier to weigh)	Low-Density Produce (Lower weight per cup)
Potatoes: A couple of medium potatoes can weigh over 200g each, counting significantly towards your total.	Leafy Greens: A cup of spinach or lettuce weighs only around 25g, so a large volume is needed.
Bananas: One medium banana can weigh nearly 200g, making it an excellent way to start your day towards the goal.	Berries: A handful of strawberries or raspberries is lighter, requiring more volume to reach a higher weight.
Avocados: One avocado can contribute a significant portion of your daily weight, and counts towards the challenge.	Bell Peppers: While a great source of vitamins, peppers are lighter and more voluminous per gram.
Squash & Root Vegetables: Roasted butternut squash, beets, or sweet potatoes are dense and add up quickly.	Mushrooms: These are much lighter than they appear, adding volume without a lot of weight.

Tips for Achieving Your 800g Goal

Start with What You Love: Begin by incorporating your favorite fruits and vegetables, and gradually add more variety as you get used to the volume.
Incorporate at Every Meal: Include produce at breakfast, lunch, and dinner to spread out the intake and make it less overwhelming.
Utilize Frozen Produce: Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh and can be a convenient, cost-effective option for soups, smoothies, and stir-fries.
Embrace Soups and Smoothies: These are excellent ways to pack a large volume of vegetables and fruits into a single, easy-to-consume meal.
Snack Smart: Replace unhealthy snacks with whole fruits or vegetables like baby carrots, apples, or handfuls of berries.
Prep Ahead: Wash and chop your produce at the beginning of the week to ensure it's ready to go when you are, reducing the barrier to choosing healthy options.

Conclusion

While reaching 800 grams of produce daily can seem challenging at first, it becomes manageable when broken down into smaller, meal-sized portions. Whether you use a food scale for precision or rely on visual cues like fist-sized portions, the key takeaway is consistency over perfection. Making a conscious effort to increase your fruit and vegetable intake provides cumulative health benefits that compound over time, leading to lower risks of heart disease, cancer, and stroke. By visualizing what do 800 grams of produce look like, you're better equipped to meet this health-boosting goal one delicious bite at a time. For more information on the original challenge and specific rules, you can visit the OptimizeMe Nutrition 800g Challenge page.

Frequently Asked Questions

All fruits and vegetables count, whether fresh, cooked, frozen, or canned. This includes items like avocado, beans, corn on the cob, and potatoes. Items with added ingredients like sugar or oil (e.g., store-bought hummus, dried fruit, fried food) do not count.

A food scale offers the most accuracy, but it is not strictly necessary. You can use visual cues, such as approximating one cup as a closed adult fist, to estimate your intake. The goal is progress, not perfection.

While technically possible, it is not recommended. Spreading your intake across three meals and snacks is a more sustainable approach that aids in consistent consumption and satiety throughout the day.

Leafy greens are an exception because they are very light. One cup of leafy greens weighs only about 25 grams. You can eat as many leafy greens as you want in addition to aiming for your six-cup target.

The most important part of the challenge is making a healthy habit. If you are currently eating very little produce, a lower goal is still beneficial. You can build up to 800 grams gradually as you get more comfortable.

Yes, frozen produce counts towards your 800-gram goal. It is often a more convenient and cost-effective option than fresh produce, especially for items that are not in season.

Based on a 2017 meta-analysis, consuming up to 800 grams of produce daily was associated with a 24% reduced risk of heart disease, a 33% reduced risk of stroke, and a 13% reduced risk of total cancer, among other benefits.