Nutrition
Parent - Family Newsletter
July 2011
Food for Thought
Calories, portions and other nutritional guidelines for kids
Recently, the USDA changed its nutritional guidelines symbol
from a pyramid “built” mostly of whole grains, vegetables and
fruit to the image of a plate, three-quarters of which holds fruits,
vegetables and grains. While there has been some debate
surrounding the new health guidelines, the USDA has a good
reason for revamping the 29-year-old food pyramid.
T
he new guidelines called
MyPlate grew out of
recommendations in the
Child Obesity Task Force
report that consumers need
simple advice they can easily
remember at the supermarket,
at restaurants and at home. It
is based on the 2010 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans,
emphasizing vegetables,
fruits and grains as the major
components of one’s diet.
With a record number of
Americans, including children,
regarded as overweight or obese,
the government’s emphasis
on more fruits and vegetables
may help empower parents and
children to eat a healthier diet. The
USDA also cited portion control as a
problem for many American families,
recommending that individuals balance
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their calorie intake and consume less
sugar and sodium.
Although some food service
professionals and nutritionists disagree
with the new food plate model, other
experts believe that the visual image
will make it easier for children (and their
parents) to learn about proper portion
size and good nutrition.
“The new icon will help all of us
interested in eating well to quickly and
easily ‘rate our plate’ for good health,”
says Kathy Duran-Thal, RD, director
of nutrition for the Cooper Wellness
Program in Dallas. “We’ve been
promoting the plate concept for
more than 20 years.”
First Lady Michelle Obama, who
has made a mission out of helping
all Americans achieve better
health, calls the MyPlate image, “a
quick, simple reminder for all of us
to be more mindful of the foods
that we’re eating.” She believes
this new model will help parents
everywhere teach their kids how to
eat a healthy diet.
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Teaching Kids About Nutrition
If
kids learn about good nutrition
at a young age, they are more
likely to maintain good habits
as adults. Here are a few important
factors to consider when talking about
proper nutrition:
Decipher food labels. Food labels
and nutrition facts provide useful
information about our daily intake of
nutrients, calories, carbohydrates, salt
and sugar. The next time you’re at
the grocery store together, show your
children how to compare different
brands of chips or cereal to see which
ones offer more nutritional value,
checking things like portion size, fats,
sugars and sodium. Make it a game to
see which child can find the healthiest
snack.
Exemplify proper portions.
Give your kids a proper visual to
demonstrate what different portion
sizes look like. For example, a piece of
meat should be the size of a deck of
cards. A cup of rice should be the size
of a baseball. A domino is equivalent
to one ounce of cheese. Simple,
recognizable visual references like these
should help your children remember
what appropriate portions look like the
next time they reach for a snack.
Use smaller plates for better
Calorie Intake for Kids
While adults should consume around 2,000 calories every day, young kids
and adolescents should base their diet on more or fewer calories, depending
on how active they are and how quickly they grow. Here are guidelines from
the Mayo Clinic:
Girls ages 4 to 8:
Girls ages 9 to 13:
Girls ages 14 to 18:
1,200 to 1,800 calories
1,600 to 2,200 calories
1,800 to 2,400 calories
Boys ages 4 to 8:
Boys ages 9 to 13:
Boys ages 14 to 18:
1,400 to 1,800 calories
1,800 to 2,600 calories
2,200 to 3,200 calories
portion control. The new USDA
guidelines for healthy eating are based
on a 9-inch dinner plate. Unfortunately,
plenty of dinner plates measure almost
a foot wide. Re-stock your own kitchen
with proper-sized dinner plates or at
least show your children how to serve
smaller portions when eating off of a
large plate.
Create a meal according to USDA
guidelines. Show your children how
to grab an appropriately sized plate,
fill one side with vegetables and fruits,
and place a healthy whole grain and
3-ounce serving of protein on the
other side.
Set the example. Your children
are going to look for you to model
good nutrition behavior. If they see
you eating junk food, that’s what they
will want, too. Make better eating
habits a decision that the entire
family gets behind.
For more information, visit
www.choosemyplate.gov.
IMAGES: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
This newsletter is brought to you by
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
and HealthTeacher. HealthTeacher
is the leading provider of K-12
Health Curriculum online. For more
information, please visit us at www.
healthteacher.com/centralflorida.