The Food Guide Pyramid

A Recipe For Good Health & Nutrition

The food guide pyramid, yes, you have heard about it, but what is it and what does it tell you?

You want your kids to eat healthy and want to make sure they receive everything they need nutritionally for optimal growth and development, but what and how much should they be eating?

Look no further as this site will discuss the food guide pyramid and the key messages that it represents in a simple and easy to read format.

In today’s world, it is so hard to really know what to feed your kids or not to feed your kids. There is so much information available today in magazines, on TV, in the newspapers and yes, the internet. In addition, well-meaning friends, family, co-workers etc. all want to give their advice on how you should feed your kids. Much of the information at times seems conflicting and appears to change from one week to the next.

Just keep in mind that eating healthy does not have to be complicated or restrictive.

So exactly what should your kids be eating and what are their nutrition requirements? It doesn’t mean that you have to shop only at health food stores, spend a lot of extra money on food or restrict all sweet treats from your kids.

It does suggest though that you should review the nutrition guidelines as represented in part by the food guide pyramid by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the American Heart Association (AHA). The guidelines are aimed to help you choose a way of eating and exercising for both you and your kids that will reduce your kids risk as well as yourself from major chronic diseases and encourage your kids proper growth and development.

The nutrition guidelines stress the importance of eating a variety of foods from the five main food groups, increasing intake of whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables. Limiting intake of fat, added sugars, salt and empty calorie foods and increasing physical activity.

On the food guide pyramid, there are vertical stripes each in a different color. Each color represents a specific food group.

• Orange: grains

• Red: fruits

• Green: vegetables

• Blue: dairy and dairy products

• Purple: proteins (meat, beans, fish and nuts)

• Yellow: fats and oils

The food guide pyramid includes stairs. The stairs represent the importance of exercise and active play on a daily basis. The steps also indicate that you can make changes little by little (step by step) to be healthier. Small changes lead to big changes with a big impact on your kids overall health.

Eating a well balanced diet within a variety will supply your kid’s body with all of the right ingredients and there will be no need to worry.

A balanced diet equals a healthy diet. A balanced diet includes nutritious foods that provide protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water that a body needs.

Sounds complicated, but it really isn’t. As long as you follow the basic nutrition guidelines, you will be fine.

Dietary Guidelines

Ok, let’s begin with the basics:

• Provide a variety of nutrient dense foods from the five food groups.

• Provide all foods in moderation. Offer a diet low in saturated fats, trans-fats and cholesterol. Offer a diet with moderate intake of salt and added sugars.

• Offer a diet with plenty of whole grain products, vegetables and fruits.

• Balance the food your kid eats with physical activity (active play).

• Offer a diet that provides enough calcium and iron to meet a kid’s growing body requirements. Studies have shown that kids diets are often low in these minerals.

Recommended Food Group Requirements within the Food Guide Pyramid

All growing kids should eat a daily total of the following:

• 6 servings grains (1/2 of the grains should be from whole grains)

• 2 servings fruit

• 3 servings vegetables

• 3 servings dairy

• 2 servings meat, poultry, dried beans, fish, eggs or nuts.

Expect younger kids to eat much smaller serving sizes than older kids (See links below for serving sizes for specific age groups). Keep in mind that these are just basic nutrition guidelines and depending on age and activity level, a kid may need more or less. In addition, kids tend to eat well some days and not so well other days, but over a time span of a week or two, it generally averages out. Generally speaking, kids will eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. Kids are not like the majority of us adults who tend to eat just because it is mealtime and not because we are hungry.

Toddler Pyramid
Young Kids Food Pyramid
Early School Age Kids ( 4 - 8 years) Food Pyramid
Kids Ages 9 - 13 years Food Pyramid
Nutrition Pyramid for Teens

Remember that you as a parent have control on what and when your kid eats, but your kid has control over how much he or she eats.

Healthy kids grow up to be healthy adults. Our kids are our future!

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