If you’re like most families, you’re on the go a lot. Soccer
practice, ballet lessons, football games – it can be overwhelming. And
by the time you pick up the kids from their activities, it’s just so
easy to grab dinner at a fast food restaurant on the way home.
“The problem is, children need healthy, balanced meals in order to
grow into healthy adults,” says Robin Carroll, director of Nutrition
Services at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics. “Parents need to
ensure their children get the right amount of servings in the five food
groups.”
March is National Nutrition Month, so take this opportunity to
review the right amount of servings for your child:
Children ages 2-6:
Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group – six servings
Vegetable group – three servings
Fruit group – two servings
Milk, yogurt, and cheese group – two servings
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts group – two servings
Fats and sweets – use sparingly
Children 2-6 years old should be offered smaller servings, except
for milk (see adjacent article).
Children ages 6 and up:
Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group – 6-11 servings
Vegetable group – three to five servings
Fruit group – two to four servings
Milk, yogurt and cheese group – two to three servings
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts group – two to three
servings
Fats and sweets – use sparingly
Teen-agers need three servings of milk a day.
“Most children are not getting enough fruits and vegetables,”
Carroll says. “Try making these foods appealing to kids, such as
offering celery sticks with peanut butter as a healthy snack. Starting
them out as healthy eaters now will create habits that carry into their
adulthood.”
