Transcript Let the Pyramid Be Your Guide Facts About

Let the Pyramid Be Your Guide
Facts About Nutrition Labels
An informational tool to help parents choose healthy foods
to serve their children is the nutritional facts label.
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and
the Department of
Agriculture require
nutritional information
labels on almost all foods
that are regulated by the
FDA.
Guidelines
Once children turn 2, parents can use nutrition
recommendations from the U.S. government to guide them
in deciding what foods to serve.
MyPyramid is an online tool to help determine recommended
amounts to eat from each food group.
Parents who have Internet access can visit
www.mypyramid.gov, type in child’s age, gender, and
general activity level, to receive a basic feeding guide.
Pyramid Pointers
According to MyPyramid, a recommended daily food guide for a 2 year old
child with an average activity level would be:
• 3 ounces of grain (for example bread, cereal, pitas, tortillas, pasta and rice). At least
1 ½ ounces of that should be whole grain. An ounce is about one piece of
bread, ½ cup of cereal, cooked pasta or rice.
• 1 cup of vegetables. Throughout the week the vegetables should vary,
including dark green, orange, starchy, and other veggies; beans and peas.
• 1 cup of fruits. A variety of fruit is best. Fruit juice should be limited to about
half of the total (4 to 6 ounces per day). Whole fruit is preferable to juice
because it contains more fiber.
• 2 cups of milk or other dairy products. Low-fat or fat-free dairy products are
recommended.
• 2 ounces of protein (for example low-fat meat or poultry, fish, beans, peas, nuts, soy
and seeds).
*based on 1,000 caloric intake for a 2 year old.
Estimated Daily Calorie Needs
To determine which food intake pattern to use for an individual, the following chart
gives an estimate of individual calorie needs. The calorie range for each age/sex group
is based on physical activity level, from sedentary to active.
Children
2–3 years
Sedentary
1,000
Active
1,400
Females
4–8 years
9–13
14–18
19–30
31–50
51+
1,200
1,600
1,800
2,000
1,800
1,600
1,800
2,200
2,400
2,400
2,200
2,200
Males
4–8 years
9–13
14–18
19–30
31–50
51+
1,400
1,800
2,200
2,400
2,200
2,000
2,000
2,600
3,200
3,000
3,000
2,800
Sedentary means a lifestyle that
includes only the light physical
activity associated with typical day-today life.
Active means a lifestyle that includes
physical activity equivalent to walking
more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4
miles per hour, in addition to the light
physical activity associated with
typical day-to-day life.
*Information obtained from MyPyramid.com website
Reducing the Fat
• Once your child is 2 years of age, it is recommended
that you begin to limit fat to about 30% to 35% of her
total calories.
• There is evidence that too much fat in the diet may
cause heart disease and some cancers.
• The American Heart Association suggests offering your
child lean forms of protein such as skinless white-meat
chicken or turkey, soy products, beans, low-fat or fatfree milk, and egg whites or egg substitutes.
Fish and Shellfish
•
Fish and shellfish are good for the heart.
•
As long as allergies do not run in your family, you can serve fish to your 2 year old.
•
If there is a chance your child may have an allergy to seafood, it is best to wait until
she is 3 years old before giving her any.
•
One concern about eating fish is that it contains mercury, which can be harmful in
high levels.
•
The U.S. government recommends young children not be given shark, swordfish,
king mackerel or tilefish to eat because they tend to have high levels of mercury.
•
A child can eat 2 (two) servings per week of safer types of fish such has canned light
tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish. Albacore (white) tuna has more mercury than
light tuna and should count as 2 servings
Simple Snacks
You have probably noticed that your child likes to snack. Most young children want a
snack at least twice a day. Their tummies are too small to hold a lot of food at once.
Snacks do not have to be
“junk food”. With his
growing body, your
child needs all the
nourishment he can
eat. Remember to
count snacks when
you look at your child’s
total diet.
Young children
like a variety of
colors and textures
in their food.
Make snacks fun
and inviting by
cutting them into
interesting shapes
or serving them on
cute plates.