You know the Food Guide Pyramid. You know MyPlate. You know your kids need fruits and veggies. But what does it mean in the real world–and what does a whole day’s worth really look like?
You may see these photos and think it’s way more than your kids eat–or way less. Personally, putting together this post made me realize that one of my kids isn’t getting nearly enough (especially veggies!). These are also just examples. If these aren’t fruits and veggies your brood likes, that’s okay. But I hope these photos give you a better idea of how much kids need and how it can all fit together.
(Note: MyPlate measures servings for fruits and vegetables in cups and provides different serving sizes in cup-equivalents for some foods. You can get more serving sizes and ideas at MyPlate.)
2-3 Year Olds need: 1 cup of fruit & 1 cup of vegetables
4-8 year olds need: 1.5 cups of fruit & 1.5 cups of vegetables
9-13 year olds need: 1.5 cups of fruit and 2 cups of veggies (2.5 cups of veggies for boys)
14-18 year olds need: 1.5 cups of fruit (2 cups of fruit for boys) and 2.5 cups of veggies (3 cups of veggies for boys)
On a much different note, see what a day’s worth of sugar looks like for different age groups: What A Day’s Worth of Sugar For Kids Really Looks Like
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