As a dietitian, I work with a lot of families. There is so much focus on “good” and “bad” foods or stress about avoiding sugar, or asking me if they should avoid a certain food because of the fat content. But you know what I think is more valuable to focus on - balance and variety First get the right balance of foods at mealtimes. When you eat balanced, meaning you get foods from the different food groups, you get a mix of both macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Second is to get a variety within each of the food groups. If you are serving your child a variety of whole foods within each food group everyday, the macronutrient breakdown - sugar, fat, etc shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Why Eat From Each Food Group?
Each food group has different nutrients, which your child needs to grow and develop properly.
Instead of focusing on certain nutrients, it may be easier to focus on what proportion of each food group should be on your child’s plate. Fill half your child’s plate with fruits and veggies and the other half split equally with protein foods and grains. This is where to start. Once you have that down, you can work on variety or maybe choosing foods with more nutritional value within the groups.
So what does your child get from each food group? How much do they need and what are good options? Let’s dive in!
The Food Groups
Vegetables
Vegetables provide vitamins (like folate, vitamin C, and vitamin A), minerals (like potassium), phytonutrients (like antioxidants, which you can only get from real food), and fiber. This wide variety of nutrients help boost your child’s immune system to keep them healthy now and nutrients that protect them from disease later in life, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. I think of vegetables as a lot of bang for your buck. Lots of nutrients, with little calories.
How Much Should My Child Eat?
About 3-5 servings each day, but serving sizes vary by age. For toddlers, a serving is ¼ cup, pre-schoolers ⅓ cup, and older kids a serving is ½ cup of cooked or raw vegetables.
Total recommended vegetables per day:
|
1-3 Year Olds |
1 cup per day |
|
4-8 Year Olds |
1 -1 ½ cups per day |
|
9-13 Year Olds |
2 -2 ½ cups per day |
|
14-18 Year Olds |
2 ½ -3 cups per day |
*1 cup is equivalent to 1 cup cooked or raw vegetables or 2 cups or leafy greens
Fruits
Fruits are very similar to vegetables in that they also have vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. They tend to have more carbohydrates and calories, which can be good for energy.
How Much Should My Child Eat?
About 2-4 servings a day. And again recommended serving sizes vary by age. For toddlers, I consider a serving to be ¼ cup or a ¼ of a small fruit, ⅓ cup for preschoolers, and ½ cup for older kids. This doesn’t mean that this is how much your child must eat in a sitting, but helps to count up servings for the day, or meet the totals below.
Total recommended fruits per day
|
1-3 Year Olds |
1 cup per day |
|
4-8 Year Olds |
1 -1 ½ cups per day |
|
9-13 Year Olds |
1 ½ cups per day |
|
14-18 Year Olds |
1 ½ - 2 cups per day |
*1 cup is equivalent to 1 cup of fruit, ½ cup of dried fruit, 1 small piece of fruit, or 1/ a large piece of fruit
Grains and Starchy Vegetables
Grains and starchy vegetables give kids energy via carbohydrates. Grains contain fiber, as well as B vitamins and minerals like magnesium and selenium, benefiting the nervous system, muscles, and the immune system. Whole grains are the best source of these nutrients (vs more refined grains). Whole grains include foods like oat, barley, whole wheat, farro, and brown rice. Starchy vegetables contain more carbohydrates than their non starchy counterparts, more like a grain, which is why they are grouped together. Starchy vegetables include foods like corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes. They also contain fiber, vitamins like (vitamin C and vitamin A), and minerals (like magnesium and potassium), as well as antioxidants.
Aim for whole grains and starchy vegetables over more refined grains to boost your child’s nutrient intake.
How Much Should My Child Eat?
Your child should eat grains throughout the day, aiming for ½ at least to come from whole grains or starchy vegetables. In general kids should be getting about 6-8 servings daily. A serving for younger kids is equal to ½ ounce or about ½ slice of bread, and for older kids it’s 1 ounce or 1 slice of bread. See below for other 1 ounce equivalents.
Total recommended grains per day
|
1-3 Year Olds |
2 ounces per day |
|
4-8 Year Olds |
3 - 4 ounces per day |
|
9-13 Year Olds |
5 - 6 ounces per day |
|
14-18 Year Olds |
6 - 7 ounces per day |
*1 ounce of grains/starches is equal to 1 piece of bread, 1 6-inch tortilla, ½ cup cooked cereal, rice, pasta or starchy vegetable, 1 cup of dry cereal, 1 4-in pancake
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Dairy and alternatives are good sources of protein and calcium, which are essential for your child’s growth. They can also provide other important nutrients for bones like vitamin D, and phosphorus.
Dairy alternatives, like soy, oat, pea and almond milk are viable options for those kids who are allergic or intolerant to milk. And while all fortified options can be a good calcium replacement, some may not be a good replacement for fat and/or protein, so that may need to be thoughtfully added elsewhere in the diet.
Calcium can also be found in other foods, in smaller quantities including dark leafy greens, such as kale, callards, and spinach, tahini and sesame seeds, almonds and corn tortillas.
How Much Should My Child Eat?
Dairy is the best source of calcium, so listed below are the mg of calcium needed as well as dairy equivalents.
Total recommended calcium servings per day
|
Age |
Calcium Needs |
Equivalent Servings of Dairy |
|
1-3 Year Olds |
700 mg |
2 - 2 ½ cups per day |
|
4-8 Year Olds |
1000 mg |
2 ½ - 3 cups per day |
|
9-13 Year Olds |
1300 mg |
3 - 4 cups per day |
|
14-18 Year Olds |
1300 mg |
3 - 4 cups per day |
*1 cup of dairy is equal to a cup of milk or yogurt, 1 ½ ounces of cheese, or ⅓ cup of shredded cheese
Meats and Protein Foods
Meats and protein foods primarily provide protein as the most important nutrient. They also can provide very important nutrients for growth and development, iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, animal sources of protein provide vitamin B12. While plant based protein sources, like nuts and beans contain vitamin E and magnesium.
How Much Should My Child Eat?
Protein should be served throughout the day. A serving for a younger child is about ½ ounce of meat, or about 2 Tbsps of meat or beans. For an older child 1 ounce is a serving is closer to a quarter cup for meat and beans. See other equivalents for other foods below.
Total recommended protein servings per day
|
1-3 Year Olds |
2 ounces per day |
|
4-8 Year Olds |
3 - 5 ounces per day |
|
9-13 Year Olds |
5 ounces per day |
|
14-18 Year Olds |
5 - 6 ounces per day |
*1 ounce is equivalent to 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp of peanut butter, ½ ounce of nuts, ¼ cup of beans