Teaching the Food Pyramid to Kids

Serving your kids well-balanced meals shouldn't be a chore. Based on recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, our fun ideas will help your kids enjoy their nutritious diet.

By: Jennifer Perillo

Greg Scheidemann

1 of 13

Fruits

Fresh fruit is best, but frozen and dried fruits also count toward the 1-1/2 cups kids ages 3-6 need a day. If you're using canned, choose a brand with fruit that's packed in natural juice instead of syrup. Juice is popular with kids but lacks the fiber found in whole fruit, so limit kids' juice intake to a half of a cup a day of 100-percent juice.

Ways to do this at mealtime: Add a bowl of fresh fruit to the dinner table. Pack an apple or banana for an on-the-go snack. Sprinkle raisins, dried cranberries, and chopped, dried apricots over oatmeal. Use frozen fruit to make smoothies that you can serve straight from the blender or freeze into popsicles for a sweet treat.

What do you think of this story? Tell Us.

1 of 13

Related Links