Chances are, you have some picky eaters in your family. So it may
seem impossible to incorporate six servings of grain or five servings
of fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet. But take a closer look
at a serving, and you may be surprised.
“It may sound like a lot to have 6-11 servings of grain every day,”
says Robin Carroll, director of Nutrition Services at Children’s Mercy
Hospitals and Clinics. “But it’s really not. For example, one slice of
bread equals one serving, so if your child eats a sandwich for lunch,
you have two servings. They add up quickly.”
Examples of one serving for children 6 and up include the following
(serving sizes for children ages 1-6 are even smaller than the examples
below):
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts:
- 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish (about the size
of the palm of your hand).
- 1-2 eggs
- 1 cup of cooked dry beans
- 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
Milk, yogurt and cheese
- 1 cup of milk or yogurt
- 1 1/2 ounces of processed cheese
Vegetables
- 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
- 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables
- 3/4 of a cup of vegetable juice
Fruit
- 1 medium apple, banana or orange
- 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit
- 3/4 of a cup of fruit juice
Grains:
1 slice of bread
1/2 cup of cooked cereal
1/2 cup of pasta or rice
3-4 small plain crackers
