What should our children be eating?
The food pyramid above shows the how much of each food type is needed for healthy eating.
Bread, cereals and potatoes - provide energy to help children concentrate, work and play.
Recommended servings per day
1 - 3 years: 4 servings
3 - 5 years: 4-6 servings
One serving = any of the following
- 1 slice of bread/ a small bread roll
- 1 bowl of cereal
- 2 cream crackers
- 1 medium potato
- 2 tablespoons of boiled rice or pasta
Tip : Very active children may need more servings from this food group to give them extra energy
Fruit and vegetables - provide vitamins and minerals essentials for good health.
1 - 3 years: 2 - 4 servings
3 - 5 years: 4 or more servings
One serving = any of the following
- 1 medium sized fresh fruit e.g. apple/ orange/ banana/ pear
- half glass of unsweetened pure fruit juice - dilute with plenty of water small bowl of tinned fruit in natural juice
- 2 tablespoons of stewed fruit
- 2 tablespoons of vegetables bowl of homemade vegetable soup
Tip : If your child hates most vegetables, give them the ones they do like regularly and extra fruit. Keep challenging them with new vegetables. Persevere - gently.
Milk, cheese and yogurt - provide calcium for healthy bones and teeth.
1 - 3 years: 2 - 3 servings
3 - 5 years: 3 servings
One serving = any of the following
- 1 glass of full fat milk (1/3 pint of milk)
- 1 carton of yogurt
- matchbox sized piece of cheese
- 2 cheese slices
- small bowl of milk pudding
Tip : Low fat milk is not suitable as the main drink for children under two years of age. However, it can be introduced slowly after two years, provided that the child is a good eater and has a varied diet. Milk and fruit juice are great foods for young children. But too much will replace other foods. This can be a problem because both are low in iron. Keep milk to 500ml and juice to ½ to one cup a day, and you'll find food intake improves. Replacing the bottle with a cup helps.
Meat, fish and alternatives - provide protein for growth and development.
Recommended servings per day
1 - 3 years: 2 small servings
3 - 5 years: 2 servings
One serving = any of the following
- a small pork/ lamb chop
- 2 slices roast/ boiled meat
- 2 slices of turkey/ chicken
- medium fillet of fish
- 4 tablespoons of baked beans
Tip : Chicken nuggets, sausages, fish fingers and burgers are lower in protein and are often high in fat. Offer these only occasionally! Try soft meat such as premium low fat mince with sauce.
Top shelf of the pyramid - sweets, biscuits, cakes, fried foods, crisps, fizzy drinks.
Most foods in this shelf contain more fat, sugar and salt than anything else. These foods should be kept as occasional foods. Filling up on foods from this shelf spoils your child's appetite for more nutritious food.
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