Daily Nutritional Guidelines

The United States Department of Agriculture created a food pyramid of daily guidelines for kids. (It’s available online at mypyramid.gov, although the guidelines are only applicable for children aged two and up.) Some nutritionists feel the government should have been stricter, for instance, requiring all, not just some, of the grains to be whole grains, insisting on reduced fat when recommending milk and dairy products, and completely restricting sodas and sports drinks, rather than labeling them as drinks to be used occasionally. Essentially, a child’s daily diet should be composed mostly of calories from complex carbohydrates and lean proteins and no more than 20 percent of calories from fat. Here are particulars about each category of food and the specific daily nutritional breakdown for preschoolers, elementary school children, and teenagers, all derived from the U.S.D.A. and the Institute of Medicine.

Vegetables: Opt for bright and dark veggies: spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots are great choices. Starchy, whiter foods, such as baking potatoes and corn, are less nutritious.

Fruits: Choose vitamin-rich fresh fruits, such as strawberries, peaches, mangoes, and apples. Fruit juices should be consumed as little as possible. When offering juice, make sure it is 100 percent real fruit juice with no sugar added.

Grains: Use whole or multigrain flours, whole- grain breads, oatmeal, whole- grain low-sugar cereals, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta. Ban white bread and white rice from your house as much as possible.

]]>

Meats and Beans: Serve lean proteins, such as beef, pork, chicken, fish, beans, tofu, or eggs. When preparing any protein-rich food, opt to serve it steamed, baked, or grilled, not fried.

Dairy: Serve lean sources of dairy, such as low-fat milk (check with your doctor to determine whether your child should have whole or reduced-fat milk), low- fat yogurt, ricotta, or cheese.

Oils: Use monounsaturated oil, such as olive-preferably extra-virgin-saffl owner, and canola oils. They provide vitamin E for healthy skin and the development of cells.

Fats and Sweets: Limit intake of butter, cream, sugary cereals, soda, candy, and the like as much as possible.

Daily Requirements: Preschoolers

Generally, preschoolers need 1,000 to 1,400 calories per day. For this age group, roughly five or six mini-meals throughout the day are preferable to keep their energy up.

Vegetables 1 cup

Fruits 1 cup

Grains 3 ounces

Meats and

Beans 2 to 3 ounces

Dairy 2 cups

Oils 3 teaspoons

Fats and

Sweets Limit as much as possible

Complex carbohydrates and protein are particularly important for five- to eleven- year- olds, who need 1,400 to 2,000 calories a day. If they are very active, their calorie intake can be in the upper range and if they are fairly inactive, they should have a little less.

Vegetables 2 cups

Fruits 11⁄2 cups

Grains 5 to 6 ounces

Meats and

Beans 5 ounces

Dairy 3 cups

Oils 4 teaspoons

Fats and

Sweets Limit as much as possible

Generally, teenagers need anywhere from 1,600 calories per day to 3,000 calories for very active boys. Often, teenagers need more calcium and protein than they take in. Vegetables 3 cups

Fruits 2 cups

Grains 6 ounces

Meats and

Beans 5 to 6 ounces

Dairy 3 cups

Oils 5 to 6 teaspoons

Fats and

Sweets Limit as much as possible

The American Dietetic Association (their website, eatright.org, is very handy) provides a handy visual guide to appropriate serving sizes: Meat 3 ounces Deck of cards/kitchen sponge

Pasta/Rice 1⁄2 cup Tennis ball/ice-cream scoop

Bread 1 slice CD case

Peanut Butter 2 tablespoons Ping- Pong ball

Vegetables 1⁄2 cup Light bulb or rounded handful

Cheese 1 ounce 4 dice

Dried Fruit 1 ounce Egg

Nuts 1 ounce Ping- Pong ball

Find More Daily Nutritional Guidelines Articles