Prepared by
Beth Reames, PhD, LDN, RD,

Diane Linder, EdD, LDN, RD
and

Donna Montgomery, MS

Children should eat two to four servings of foods from the Fruit Group each day.

Table of Contents Nutrition for Young Children Introduction What You Will Learn Food Guide Pyramid Review The Dietary Guidelines for Children Using Food Guide Pyramid Review Go for the Grains Vegetables Fruits Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts Food Safety Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group Snacks Fast Food Feeding Your Preschool Child with Love and Understanding Tips For Feeding Young Children Eating and Exercising for Good Health Summary Web Sites to Visit Review questions Back to Nutrition Curriculum Lessons

Fruits

Fruits are grown and eaten in every country in the world.  They grow on trees, bushes or vines that live for many years.  Some, like bananas and pineapples, grow best in countries that stay warm all year long.  Others, like apples and cherries, grow well where it gets very cold in the winter.  All provide nutrients that children need to stay healthy.

Children should eat two to four servings of foods from the Fruit Group each day.  Fruit provides nutrients such as vitamin C, beta carotene (this turns to vitamin A in our bodies), potassium and fiber.  Vitamin C helps to heal cuts and bruises.  Citrus fruit, melons and strawberries are high in vitamin C.

Beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber may even help to prevent cancer and heart disease.  Apricots and cantaloupes are high in beta carotene.  Apples, pears, plums and figs are high in fiber.  Potassium is needed for fluid balance.   Bananas and oranges are high in potassium.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts

The USDA Food Guide Pyramid recommends that children eat two to three smaller servings from this group every day.  The Meat Group of the Food Guide Pyramid provides protein for growth.  Animal foods such as beef, chicken, pork, fish and eggs are complete proteins.  Complete proteins are needed for normal growth rates. 

Plant foods such as dry beans, nuts and peanut butter are incomplete proteins.  To make incomplete proteins complete, drink milk or add cheese or small amounts of meat. 

Meats are good sources of three nutrients that are low in diets of many preschool children

1.  Zinc aids in growth, appetite, taste and wound healing.  It is found primarily in meat, liver, eggs and seafood (especially oysters).

2. Vitamin B6 helps the body break down and use food we eat, especially protein foods.  It also helps the body build blood and is needed for a healthy nervous system.  It is found in chicken, fish, liver, pork and eggs.

3.  Iron helps build red blood cells and helps a person have a longer attention span. It also helps in the ability to learn.  Meat, eggs, liver, poultry and fish are the best sources.

Choking:  More than two-thirds of all children's deaths from choking were from foods in the meat group.  High-risk foods include:

• Hot dogs and sausages (cut into small pieces, not round ones) 
• Peanuts and other nuts (especially in children aged two and younger)
• Peanut butter - can form a plug in the airway
• Bone fragments -  a chicken leg with bone, fish bones

Food Safety

Some food products may contain bacteria that could cause illness if the product is mishandled or cooked improperly.  For your protection, follow these safe handling instructions:

Keep meats refrigerated or frozen.

Thaw in the refrigerator (not on the counter).

Keep raw meat and poultry separate from other foods.  

Wash working surfaces (including cutting boards), utensils and hands after touching raw meat or poultry.

Cook thoroughly.  Cook ground meat until pink disappears.

Keep hot foods hot.  Refrigerate leftovers immediately.

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese Group

Milk's claim to fame is its nutritional value.  It is one of the groups in the Food Guide Pyramid, and we should choose food from this group each day.   Milk contains almost every nutritional element needed in human diets.  That's why it is often called the most nearly perfect food.  In fact, it's the primary food of infants in their first year of life.  The fact is you never outgrow your need for milk.

The milk, yogurt and cheese group supplies these important nutrients needed by the body:

Calcium for strong bones, teeth and muscle tissue

Protein for growth and repair of body tissues

Carbohydrate for energy

Vitamin A for healthy skin and vision

Phosphorus and Vitamin D work together with calcium to build and maintain bones and teeth.

B vitamins help the body use energy from food.

Young children need the equivalent of two cups of milk each day.  This amount should be divided into smaller servings of one-half to three-fourths cup and offered several times a day to meet the recommended equivalent of two cups of milk.

Children two years old and older can drink low-fat or skim milk.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under two be given whole milk.   They need the fat for normal growth and development during this period.  Most young children like milk, but some give up drinking it once they are weaned.  Because dairy products are so important in our diets, here are a few ideas for getting the milk your child needs into his diet if he won't drink milk:

• Serve milk at the temperature your child likes.
• Use other dairy foods high in calcium.
• Add milk to foods your child does eat, such as casseroles, soups and puddings.
• Cook cereals in milk.
• Consider serving milk-based beverages such as milk shakes and hot cocoa made with low-fat milk.
• Look for recipes that include milk.