HSW-PLS.703
Literacy, Eating, and Activity for Primary
“Choose a variety
of foods every
day!!”
C
hildren need at least 34 different nutrients
to grow and function normally. However,
there is no single food that provides everything
they need. They must eat a wide variety of
foods every day to provide everything their
bodies need. This becomes a special challenge
when children decide to limit their choices to a
few familiar foods. Some parents depend on
a multivitamin to provide all of the nutrients
their children need. A multivitamin can help,
but whole foods are better. Our bodies absorb
nutrients better from whole foods. In addition,
research is revealing nutrients in foods that
aren’t in multivitamins. The first step in making
sure children have all of the nutrients they need
every day is knowing how much they need to
eat from each food group.
Children need at least 60 minutes of moderate
physical activity each day, in addition to daily
activities. Based on this recommendation,
USDA estimates the amounts children need to
eat daily from each food group as follows:
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Bread and Jam for Frances
by Russell Hoban
Youth Health
How much is a cup of fruit or vegetables?
1 cup of fruit
= 1 cup diced fruit
1 cup of vegetable = 1 cup diced vegetables
= 1 cup 100% fruit juice
= 1 cup vegetable juice
= ½ cup dried fruit
= 2 cups of raw, leafy
greens
How much is an ounce of grains?
1 ounce of grains = 1 slice of bread
= 1 cup of dry cereal
= ½ cup cooked rice,
pasta or cereal
How much is an ounce of meat or beans?
1 ounce of meat or beans = 1 ounce lean
meat, poultry, or fish
= 1 egg
= 1 tablespoon
peanut butter
= ¼ cup cooked, dry
beans
How much is a cup of milk?
1 cup of milk
= 1 cup of fluid milk
= 1 cup of yogurt
= 1 ½ ounces
of natural cheese
= 2 ounces of
processed cheese
If a child eats the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, grains, lean meat and
beans, low fat milk and unsaturated oils recommended by the USDA Dietary Guidelines, they will still
need a few more calories to satisfy their energy needs. These are called, “discretionary calories.”
The number of discretionary calories needed is less than 200 for 2- to 5-year-old children. It is easy
to exceed the number of discretionary calories recommended with foods that have few nutrients.
The chart below lists the number of calories provided by some foods that are not in the USDA eating
plans.
FOOD GROUP
Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Meat and Beans
Milk
Oils
Discretionary
Calories
2-YEAR-OLDS
1 cup
1 cup
3 ounces
2 ounces
2 cups
3 teaspoons
165 calories
3-YEAR-OLDS
1 ½ cups
1 ½ cups
5 ounces
4 ounces
2 cups
4 teaspoons
171 calories
2
4- and 5-YEAR-OLDS
1 ½ cups
1 ½ to 2 cups
5 ounces
4-5 ounces
2 cups
4-5 teaspoons
132-171 calories
FOOD
Breading and frying foods
Butter or margarine
Catsup
Candy:
•
1 chocolate bar •
1 fun-size candy bar
•
1 piece fudge
•
1 piece of hard candy
NUMBER OF CALORIES ADDED
add about 100 calories per serving
36 calories/ teaspoon
16 calories/ tablespoon
226 calories
76 calories
65 calories
24 calories
Jelly or jam
Milk (not low fat)
55 calories/ tablespoon
Add 35 calories per cup for 2%
Add 60 calories per cup for whole milk
Add 50 calories per cup for flavored milk
Soft Drinks
152 calories/ 12 oz. soda
253 calories/ 20 oz. soda
16 calories/ teaspoon
52 calories/ tablespoon
Sugar
Syrup
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www.ca.uky.edu/heel
Turkey Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size:1 1/2 cup
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons vinegar, white wine
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 cups torn salad greens
2 cups cooked turkey breast - cut into julienne strips
1 can (11 ounce) drained mandarin orange segments
1/2 cup sliced celery
1. In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine all vinaigrette ingredients; shake well. If you don’t have a container with a
tight-fitting lid, place ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix together with a whisk.
2. In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients; toss gently.
3. Serve with vinaigrette. If desired, garnish with fresh strawberries.
Note: You can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons dried chopped onion for the chopped fresh onion or a as recommended
on the dried onion container. Prepare the dressing at least 10 minutes before you need it to allow the dried onion
to rehydrate from the fluids in the dressing.
Use white meat leftovers if you’ve prepared a whole turkey and not just the breast portion.
Another way to add crunch to your salad would be to use 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts instead of the celery.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Calories, 200, calories from fat, 50, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat , 0 trans fat, 50g cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 13g
total carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber , 9 g sugar, 23 g protein, 505 vitamin A,
Pam Sigler
Extension Specialist
for Curriculum and Instruction
Paige Blackburn, Graphic Artist
Jeffery Hines, Graphic Artist
May 2008
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Food Stamp Nutrition Connection,
Recipe Finder, January 2008.
http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/
www.ca.uky.edu/HEEL
The development of the HEEL program was made possible by Senator Mitch McConnell with funds earmarked for the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Lexington,
KY and budgeted through the CSREES/USDA Federal Administration.
Copyright 2008©for materials developed by University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or
nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author and include this copyright notice.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
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