Sandra Ryan R.D. / Elisabeth Schafer Ph.D.
Nutritionist /Associate Professor - Extension Nutrition and Health
Specialist
Iowa Department of Public Health / Iowa State University
Copyright/Access Information
Nutrition refers to how bodies use food. Good nutrition, growth,
health, and learning go together. Good nutrition is especially
important for young children because they grow so quickly. Nutritious
food fosters proper development and enhances learning. The child
who eats poorly
loses interest quickly, lacks energy, is sick more often, and
is irritable.
Providers who understand the basics of healthy food planning will
find it easy to serve a nutritionally balanced diet. Good nutrition
means feeding a variety of foods in the right amounts to help
the child grow and maintain health.
Because no one food has all the nutrients a child needs, it is
important to feed a variety of foods. Variety ensures that a child
gets all the nutrients needed for good health.
The amount of food needed depends on the child's age, size, and
physical activity. One good guideline is to offer the child one
tablespoon each of meat, fruit, and vegetables for each year of
age up to age 5. For instance, a 3-year-old might eat 3 tablespoons
each of meat, fruit, and vegetables. More food may be needed during
growth spurts. Appetites vary greatly from child to child. Let
children decide how much they need to eat to satisfy hunger.
All foods are acceptable, but some foods need to be eaten every
day while others should be chosen less often. Sweet foods make
good treats but should be offered only for special occasions.
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid is an easy tool to use while planning
meals for adults and for children beyond infancy. Different kinds
of foods are grouped together in different levels of the pyramid.
Children should eat foods close to the base (bottom) of the Food
Guide Pyramid frequently, while foods at or near the tip should
be eaten less often or in smaller amounts.
The pyramid is designed to help provide the nutrients that children
and adults need by helping them choose a variety of foods from
each food group in the amounts recommended. No one food provides
all the nutrients a child needs; children can be healthy only
by eating a variety of foods from all the groups.
Each food group has a range of recommended servings to allow for
differences in appetite and nutrient needs. Most of the children
you care for will eat the minimum number of servings from each
food group, but some may need to eat more. Children will generally
eat the minimum number of servings from each food group each day.
This may sound like a lot of food, but serving sizes are small,
and if children eat these foods, they will not be hungry for sweets.
The Food Guide Pyramid is intended for general diets for the whole
U.S. population. The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP),
while similar, has unique regulations about which foods are to
be served in order to receive credit.
BREADS, CEREALS, RICE, AND PASTA (6 to 11 servings per
day)
At the base of the pyramid is the Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta
Group. Grains and foods made from grains form this group.
Foods in the Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta Group provide complex
carbohydrates (starches), vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Grains
include wheat, rice, oats, rye, millet, and corn. Enriched flour,
cereal, whole-grain breads, macaroni and other pasta, oatmeal,
cornmeal, and grits are some of the least expensive and most nutritious
foods made from grains.
Even young children need six or more child-sized servings of whole
grain or enriched grain foods daily.
VEGETABLE GROUP (3 to 5 servings per day)
At the next level of the pyramid are the vegetable and fruit groups.
Vegetables provide vitamins A and C and folate, as well as iron.
They are low in fat and high in fiber.
It is easy to select foods from this group since any vegetable
may be chosen. Some thrifty but nutritious choices include tomatoes,
spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash. Fresh vegetables
purchased during the growing season may be less expensive and
more acceptable to children than frozen or canned products.
Dark green and deep yellow vegetables should be served several
times each week. These vegetables are especially rich in vitamin
A.
FRUIT GROUP (2 to 4 servings per day)
Fruits and vegetables share the same level on the pyramid. Fruits
(and their juices) provide vitamins A and C. They are low in fat
and sodium.
Choose any fruit from this group. Some thrifty but nutritious
choices include peaches, bananas, apples, and oranges. Purchase
fresh fruits during the growing season. They may be less expensive
and more acceptable to children than frozen or canned products.
Citrus fruits, melons, or berries should be served daily. These
fruits are rich in vitamin C.
MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, DRY BEANS, EGGS, AND NUTS GROUP (2
to 3 servings per day)
One of the two groups near the top of the pyramid is the Meat,
Fish, Poultry, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group. Foods in this
group provide protein, vitamins, and iron.
Shop wisely when you choose foods from this group, as foods in
this group are usually the most expensive. Some plant foods such
as dried beans, peas, lentils, and garbanzos (chickpeas) have
a high protein content, are inexpensive, and are included in this
group. Some other thrifty choices might be chicken, turkey and
other poultry products, ground beef, fish, eggs, liver, picnic
ham, and peanut butter.
It is best to serve the plant foods in this group with some animal
protein, such as cheese or milk. Proteins in plant foods are slightly
different from those in animal foods, and young children need
both types of protein. Serve children under 5 ground or chopped
nuts or seeds as part of a meal or snack. They can choke on large
pieces of nuts or seeds.
Nuts and seeds may be used for only one-half of the meat requirement
in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Plain or sweetened
and flavored yogurt may be used as the meat or meat alternate
for a snack.
MILK, YOGURT, AND CHEESE GROUP (2 to 3 servings per day)
The other group near the top of the pyramid is the Milk, Yogurt,
and Cheese Group. As in the meat group, many of the foods in this
group come from animals and contain cholesterol. Some are high
in fat. Foods in this group provide protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Milk, yogurt, and cheese are the best sources of calcium.
Milk and milk products contain very little iron. Therefore, children
whose diets consist mostly of milk run the risk of poor growth
and anemia.
Milk is an important food for people of all ages but especially
for children. Other foods that belong in the milk group include
dry and evaporated milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, puddings,
custards, hot cocoa, and soups made with milk.
Young children need at least 2 cups of milk each day, but they
cannot drink a cup of milk at one time. Offer smaller servings
of milk more often, and cook with milk to get enough into the
diet. Use dry milk for cooking as it is economical and equally
nutritious for children older than 2 years. Toddlers need whole
(homogenized) milk; its cholesterol, fat, and vitamin E are needed
for the earliest development of the brain and nervous system.
If you are a child care provider on the Child and Adult Care Food
Program (CACFP), you may serve only fluid milk. Whole milk, buttermilk,
or other allowed substitutes should be served at all meals and
snacks to help children get the milk they need each day. Yogurt
is allowed as a meat alternate at snack time on the CACFP, and
cheese may be served as a meat alternate at any time.
FATS, OILS, AND SWEETS GROUP (use sparingly)
The tip of the pyramid contains foods that provide calories but
few nutrients. These are foods such as butter, margarine, oils,
salad dressings, cream, sugars, jellies, soft drinks, candies,
and sweet desserts. Serve these foods only in small amounts.
Some foods from other Food Guide Pyramid groups may also contain
large amounts of fat and sugar. For example, some cuts of meat
are high in fat, as are cheeses, whole milk, or yogurt. Cakes,
cookies, and some other sweet desserts may count in the pyramid
as part of the breads, cereals, rice, and pasta group, but they
are high in both sugar and fat. Some foods are higher in fat because
they are fried.
Select foods low in sugar and fat when planning meals for children.
CHILD-SIZED PORTIONS: A child cannot eat very much at
one time. Planning balanced meals and snacks for children requires
some guessing about how much food they can eat. In general, preschoolers
can eat a serving about half the size of an adult serving. Offer
small portions several times a day. The number of servings from
each of the Food Guide Pyramid groups should be similar to those
for adults, but serving sizes need to be smaller. Start with small
servings of each food, and offer second helpings. Children who
are hungry will accept your offer.
An eating schedule like that shown in the following chart is appropriate
for young children. Servings conform to the Child and Adult Care
Food Program requirements.
_____________________________________________________________
(Indicates the amount of food that equals one serving size for
an adult in each of the food groups.)
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BREADS, CEREALS, RICE, AND PASTA GROUP:
1 slice bread
1/2 hamburger bun
English muffin or bagel
1 small roll
biscuit
muffin
4 crackers
1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal
VEGETABLE GROUP:
1 cup leafy raw vegetables
1/2 cup chopped vegetables (cooked or raw)
3/4 cup vegetable juice
FRUIT GROUP:
1 medium whole fruit (such as apple, banana, or orange)
3/4 cup fruit juice
1/2 cup berries, cooked, or canned fruit
1/4 cup dried fruit
MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, DRY BEANS, EGGS, AND NUTS GROUP:
2 to 3 ounces lean cooked meat, poultry, or fish
2 eggs
1 cup cooked dried beans
4 tablespoons peanut butter
MILK, YOGURT, AND CHEESE GROUP:
1 cup milk or yogurt
11/2 ounces natural cheese
2 ounces processed cheese
2 cups cottage cheese