Growing kids need the right foods and nutrients. Parents can help power kids’ growing bodies by offering a healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of nutrient-rich foods. These are foods that give the most vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for the fewest calories. Use these quick tips below for choosing foods to help keep kids’ hearts and bodies healthy. The recommended amounts listed are based on an average child’s calorie needs.¹ For more information on what may be right for your family, go to choosemyplate.gov.

• Fruit Group: 1 ½ cups/day

  • Fruit makes a great snack, side dish, or dessert—and can even be part of the main dish. Include a variety of colorful fruits and juices to get the most nutrients from fruit choices. Fresh, frozen, dried, canned, and 100% juice all count towards your daily fruit servings. Fruits are naturally sweet and don’t need added sugar. 100% fruit juice contains no added sugar and makes a wise beverage choice. In fact, research suggests that thanks to the Concord grape, Welch’s 100% Grape Juice helps support a healthy heart. To add to that, Welch’s 100% Grape Juice is certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) to carry the AHA’s heart-check mark, indicating that it meets AHA standards for a heart-healthy beverage. You can also sneak more fruit into your day by adding chopped fruit to cereal, yogurt, or salads, or by enjoying fruit and 100% fruit juice in a smoothie.

• Vegetable Group: 2 ½ cups/day

  • Offer different colored veggies throughout the week to provide a variety of nutrients. Try to include dark green veggies like spinach and broccoli, orange veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes, red veggies like tomatoes and peppers, blue/purple veggies like eggplant, and legumes like kidney beans and garbanzo beans. It’s easy to steam, grill, roast, or bake vegetables. Add veggies to an omelet, eat raw veggies with hummus or salsa as a snack, add leafy greens and tomato to any sandwich, or add pureed veggies to soup, sauces or dressings. To easily visualize the fruit and vegetables you need, remember half of your plate should be filled with produce.

• Grains Group: 6 ounces/day

  • Whole grain choices often provide more nutrients—including fiber, vitamins, minerals and plant nutrients—compared to refined grain options. Aim to serve your family at least three whole grain foods each day. Nutrient-rich grains include whole grain cereal, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole wheat bread and tortillas, popcorn, and whole grain crackers.

• Dairy Group: 3 cups/day

  • To maintain strong, healthy bones, kids and adults should aim to include foods from the milk group every day. Low-fat and fat-free milk and yogurt are packed with bone-building nutrients, like calcium. Adding cheese is a tasty and nutritious way to get kids to eat more veggies (like broccoli) and whole grains (like whole wheat pasta). Try reduced-fat and low-fat cheeses to help cut the amount of fat in your family’s diet.

• Protein Food Group: 5 ounces/day

  • Nutrient-rich choices include lean meats, skinless poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and seeds. Use lower-fat cooking methods, like grilling, broiling, or roasting, to keep meat and poultry lean. Try swapping out meat once or twice a week for other proteins, like beans or fish. Fish, nuts and seeds offer both protein and heart-healthy fats. Kids need protein rich foods to help support healthy growth and development—and protein helps curb hunger and keep kids going for longer.

*USDA does not endorse any products, services, or organizations

References

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. ChooseMyPlate.gov. Washington, DC. Food Groups. www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups. Last Updated: May 31, 2011. (Accessed: June 9, 2011).