Good Eaters

Growing up you may recall spending a little time in school studying the U.S. Government’s food guide pyramid. While experts can debate aspects of the food guide I think it’s a useful starting point to begin our ‘Good Eaters’ journey together.

Did you know that they have a separate food guide for kids? Or that they updated the food guide in 2005? They do and they did so let’s go over it and see what’s new.

Eat a balanced variety of foods. A balanced diet is one that includes all the food groups. Bottom line is, have foods from every food group, every day.

Eat less of some foods, and more of others. You can see that the bands for meat and protein (purple) and oils (yellow) are skinnier than the others. That’s because you need less of those kinds of foods than you do of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy foods.

You also can see the bands start out wider and get thinner towards the top. That’s to show you that foods are not all created equal, even within a healthy food group like fruits. For instance, cherry pie might be in that thin part of the fruit band because it has a lot of added sugar. A handful of cherries would be down in the wide part because you can eat more of those within a healthy diet.

Personalize. Through the USDA’s MyPyramid website, people can get personalized recommendations about the mix of foods they need to eat and how much they should be eating. There is a kids’ version of the website available too.

How Much Do I Need to Eat?
Everyone wants to know how much they should eat to stay healthy. It depends on your age, whether you’re a girl or a boy, and how active you are. Kids who are more active burn more calories, so they need more calories. But we can give you some estimates for how much you need of each food group.

Grains
Grains are measured out in ounce equivalents. What is an “ounce equivalent”? Ounce equivalents are just another way of showing an approximate serving size.

Here are ounce equivalents for common grain foods. An ounce equivalent equals:

• 1 piece of bread
• 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, like oatmeal
• 1/2 cup of rice or pasta
• 1 cup of cold cereal

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 4-5 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 5 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 6 ounce equivalents each day.

And one more thing about grains: Try to eat a lot of whole grains, such as 100% wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.

Vegetables
Of course, you need your vegetables, especially those dark green and orange ones. But how much is enough? Vegetable servings are measured in cups.

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 1 1/2 cups of veggies each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 2 cups of veggies each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 2 1/2 cups of veggies each day.

Fruits
Sweet, juicy fruit is definitely part of a healthy diet. Here’s how much you need:

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 1-1 1/2 cups of fruit each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 1 1/2 cups of fruit each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 1 1/2 cups of fruit each day.

Milk and Other Calcium-Rich Foods
Calcium builds strong bones to last a lifetime, so you need these foods in your diet.

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 1-2 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich food) each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 3 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich food) each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 3 cups of milk (or another calcium-rich food) each day.

If you want something other than milk, you can substitute yogurt, cheese, or calcium-fortified orange juice - just to name a few.

Meats, Beans, Fish, and Nuts
These foods contain iron and lots of other important nutrients. Like grains, these foods are measured in ounce equivalents.

An ounce equivalent of this group would be:

• 1 ounce of meat, poultry, or fish
• 1/4 cup cooked dry beans
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• a small handful of nuts or seeds

* 4- to 8-year-olds need 3-4 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 5 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 5 ounce equivalents each day.

That’s a lot of information to take in. The good news is that your mom, dad, and the other grown-ups in your life will help you eat what you need to stay healthy. There’s more good news - you don’t have to become a perfect eater overnight. Just remember those stairs climbing up the side of the new pyramid and take it one step at a time.

The USDA offers several free resources for parents and kids worth checking out:

USDA Kids Nutrition Resources

You’ll find free posters and coloring books you can order, an online game your kids can play, and material for teachers as well.

Posted on November 8th, 2007 by admin
Filed under: Nutrition