Tips for Using the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children 2 to 6 Years Old

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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center For Nutrition Policy and Promotion, 1999 - 16 pages
The representation of the food guide pyramid included with this booklet has been adapted for young children as follows: foods are drawn in a realistic style; foods are those commonly eaten by 2- to 6-year old children; foods are in single serving portions when possible; the food groups have shorter names; the number of servings for food groups is a single number rather than a range. The booklet contains healthy eating tips, information on serving sizes, ideas for nutritious snacks, etc.

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Page 4 - GROUP 1 piece of fruit or melon wedge 3/4 cup of juice 1/2 cup of canned fruit 1/4 cup of dried fruit MILK GROUP 1 cup of milk or yogurt 2 ounces of cheese MEAT GROUP 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter count as 1 ounce of meat. FATS AND SWEETS Limit calories from these. Four- to 6-year-olds can eat these serving sizes. Offer 2- to 3-year-olds less...
Page 2 - These are foods such as salad dressings, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, toft drinks, and candies. Go easy on these foods because they have a lot of calories from fat and sugars, but few vitamins and minerals." Page 3 States "The small tip shows that it is best to eat less of foods that contain a lot of fat and sugars. These foods contain calories but few vitamins and minerals.
Page 2 - ... eat better every day. ..the Dietary Guidelines way. Start with plenty of Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta; Vegetables; and Fruits. Add two to three servings from the Milk group and two to three servings from the Meat group. Each of these food groups provides some, but not all, of the nutrients you need. No one food group is more important than another - for good health you need them all. Go easy on the fats, oils, and sweets, the foods in the small tip of the Pyramid. The "Food Guide Pyramid"...
Page 4 - FOOD IS FUN and learning about food is fun, too. Eating foods from the Food Guide Pyramid and being physically active will help you grow healthy and strong.
Page 7 - ... as 1 ounce of meat. FATS AND SWEETS Limit calories from these. Four- to 6-year-olds can eat these serving sizes. Offer 2- to 3-year-olds less, except for milk. Two- to 6-year-old children need a total of 2 servings from the milk group each day.
Page 7 - /2 cup cooked rice or pasta l/2 cup cooked spaghetti '/2 English muffin or bagel 1 slice white, wheat, French or Italian bread l/2 hamburger or hot dog bun 1 small roll 6 crackers (saltine size) 1 4-inch pita bread 1 4-inch pancake l/2 cup cooked grits l/2 cup cooked farina or other cereal *9 3-ring pretzels 1 ounce ready-to-eat, non-sugar coated, cereal...
Page 6 - Offer a variety of foods from the five major food groups and let your children decide how much to eat
Page 2 - Americans suggest that fat in preschoolers' diets be gradually reduced from current levels to the level recommended for most people (no more than 30 percent of calories) by about 5 years of age." The words "no more than" were added to the sentence. 2. Page 7, Please check serving sizes: popcorn should be 3 cups instead of 2; rice or popcorn cakes should be 2 instead of 3; sahine crackers should be 6 instead of 5-6; pancakes should be 2 4-inch instead...
Page 8 - ... long) l/2 cup tomato or spaghetti sauce 3/4 cup vegetable juice 1 cup vegetable soup 1 medium tomato * 5 cherry tomatoes FRUIT GROUP...

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