The food pyramid is a graphic representation of the suggested servings of the five major food categories to maintain optimal nutrition. Each of these food categories is vital to good health.
How do you apply this to children when their appetites change so dramatically from one day to the next? Well, first of all, you have to make sure that they eat a large variety of foods in order to take in the various nutrients that their bodies require. The amount that they eat is not as important. Some days, a child will eat everything in sight, and the next day, he will eat like a bird. The important thing to watch is their weight gain. As long as they are gaining weight normally and are active, there is nothing to worry about.
Here are the basic guidelines:
• Grains – Six servings per day. 1 slice of bread, ½ cup of cooked pasta or rice, 30 grammes (1 ounce) of instant cereal or ½ cup of cooked cereal.
• Vegetables – Three servings per day. ½ cup of raw leafy greens, 1//2 cup raw vegetables.
• Dairy – Two servings per day. 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of yogurt, 30 grammes (1 ounce) of cheese.
• Fruit – ¾ cup of pure fruit juice, 1 piece of fruit, ½ cup of canned or packaged fruit, ¼ cup of dried fruit.
• Meat – Two servings per day. 60 to 90 grammes (2 to 3 ounces) of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish, 1/2 cup cooked beans. (2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1 egg equals the protein of 30 grammes of meat)
Fats should make up no more than 30 percent of a child’s daily diet. This means that a 1600 calorie diet should have 53 grammes of fat at the most per day. It’s also important to pay attention to what kind of fat your child is eating. Saturated fats from meat and dairy products can raise cholesterol and should be limited to no more than 10 percent of the entire day’s calories.
Sugars are detrimental to a child’s diet. Sugars have high calorie content and very little nutritional value. Avoid foods that are high in white and brown sugars, corn syrup, molasses, and honey, as well as sweets, soft drinks, jellies, and jams.
How do you apply this to children when their appetites change so dramatically from one day to the next? Well, first of all, you have to make sure that they eat a large variety of foods in order to take in the various nutrients that their bodies require. The amount that they eat is not as important. Some days, a child will eat everything in sight, and the next day, he will eat like a bird. The important thing to watch is their weight gain. As long as they are gaining weight normally and are active, there is nothing to worry about.
Here are the basic guidelines:
• Grains – Six servings per day. 1 slice of bread, ½ cup of cooked pasta or rice, 30 grammes (1 ounce) of instant cereal or ½ cup of cooked cereal.
• Vegetables – Three servings per day. ½ cup of raw leafy greens, 1//2 cup raw vegetables.
• Dairy – Two servings per day. 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of yogurt, 30 grammes (1 ounce) of cheese.
• Fruit – ¾ cup of pure fruit juice, 1 piece of fruit, ½ cup of canned or packaged fruit, ¼ cup of dried fruit.
• Meat – Two servings per day. 60 to 90 grammes (2 to 3 ounces) of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish, 1/2 cup cooked beans. (2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1 egg equals the protein of 30 grammes of meat)
Fats should make up no more than 30 percent of a child’s daily diet. This means that a 1600 calorie diet should have 53 grammes of fat at the most per day. It’s also important to pay attention to what kind of fat your child is eating. Saturated fats from meat and dairy products can raise cholesterol and should be limited to no more than 10 percent of the entire day’s calories.
Sugars are detrimental to a child’s diet. Sugars have high calorie content and very little nutritional value. Avoid foods that are high in white and brown sugars, corn syrup, molasses, and honey, as well as sweets, soft drinks, jellies, and jams.