Making a Balanced Meal!

Nutrition!

MyPlate: A guide to help you create a healthier eating style that meets your needs!

Serving Size for Kids

TIPS:

• Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables
• Choose whole grains (brown rice)
• Eat lean or low-fat meat and 8 ounces of seafood/fish a week
• Choose fat-free or low-fat milk

5 Food Groups

Vegetables

• Raw or cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, dried/dehydrated or 100% vegetable juice
• 5 subgroups: dark green, starchy, red & orange vegetables, beans & peas

 Grains

• Foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley
• Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals
• Whole grain: contains entire kernel with fiber, iron, and B vitamins

Fruits

• Fresh, canned, frozen, dried or 100 % fruit juice
• Apples, oranges, bananas

Dairy

• Foods made from milk
• Milk, yogurt, cheese

Proteins

• Foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans & peas, eggs, nuts & seeds
• Chicken, beef, pork, fish

Be Active

Get up and get moving!

Children 2-5 years 

• Play actively several times each day

Children & Adolescence 6-17 years  

• 60 minutes of physical activity each day (3 days a week of vigorous exercise, bone-strengthening activities – jumping, muscle-strengthening activities – climbing)

Fun Activities:  

• Play your favorite sport
• Ride your bike
• Walk or run
• Go to the park
• Do yard work
• Dance
• Go swimming
• Play tag or other fun games!

TIPS for Parents:

1. Be an example by eating healthy and staying physically active
2. Go grocery shopping together
3. Cook together and get creative in the kitchen
4. Avoid lecturing or forcing your child to eat their food
5. Introduce one new food at a time
6. Offer a variety of foods
7. Reward with attention, not food
8. Limit screen time to 2 hours a day
9. Limit fats, sugars, and salt
10. Engage in fun physical activities with your child
11. Let your children make healthy choices

Why is Exercise Good for you? 

• Live a longer and healthier life
• Build stronger muscles and bones
• Increase self-esteem
• Sleep better
• Maintain or get to a healthy weight
• Most of all be with people and have FUN!!!

For more information and great resources visit:

www.choosemyplate.gov