Guidelines for Good Nutrition

Worried parents often wonder if their infants and toddlers are getting enough nutrition from the food they eat. Sometimes, they seem to eat so little food, or want to eat only foods that don’t offer much nutritional value (like, cheese puffs, or fruit candy). The US Government has developed nutritional guidelines based on scientific testing that will promote good health and prevent chronic disease. For more information about the guidelines, see their website here;

www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines

Here are the basic dietary requirements to remember when feeding your children...

Protein - 2X day
Important for building body tissues and brain cells!

Meats, poultry (chicken, turkey), seafood (tuna, salmon, shrimp)

Eggs (try hard-boiled for a handy snack)

Nuts (peanuts and peanut butter are kids’ favorite), lentils, tofu, edamame

Beans (pinto, red, black, kidney, lima, garbanzo, black-eyed peas)

Dairy - 3X day
Important source of calcium for building bones.

Milk, yogurt

Cheese (cottage cheese, hard cheese, goat cheese)

Grains - 6-11X day
Important source of B vitamins and enzymes.

Cereals (oats, wheat, rice, barley, millet, corn)

Pasta, rice, bread, crackers

Vegetables – 3-5X day 
Important sources of Vitamin A, C, K, and dietary fiber.

Leafy greens (spinach, romaine, kale, collard greens, Belgian endive)

Sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, beets, carrots, turnips

Corn, green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas

Bell peppers, artichokes, asparagus

Tomatoes

Red and green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower (cole slaw counts as vegetables!)

Fruits - 2-4X/day
Important source of Vitamin A, C, fiber, antioxidants.

Cantaloupe, honeydew melon, casaba melon, watermelon

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries (try dried ‘red raisins’)

Bananas, plantains, breadfruit

Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, pineapple

Grapes and raisins

Plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines

Apples, pears