Childhood Nutrition
MyPlate is a nutritional food guide, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to help Americans become more aware of what they eat and to assist them in making better food choices. MyPlate uses the place setting, which includes a plate and a glass, to illustrate how the five food groups should be distributed over the daily meals so individuals can get the proper daily intake of nutrition. Individuals can also get personalized dietary recommendations based on their height, weight, age, gender, and physical activity level. The MyPlate food guide replaced the MyPyramid guide on June 2, 2011.
The USDA created MyPlate to help parents and caregivers figure out how to feed children nutritious, balanced meals. The colorful divided plate includes sections for vegetables, fruits, grains, and foods high in protein.
- Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the Fruit Group. Adding fruit can help increase the intake of fiber and potassium which are important nutrients that many Americans do not get enough of in their diet.
- Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice counts as part of the Vegetable Group. Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.
- Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain is a grain product. Consuming whole-grain foods that contain fiber, as part of an overall healthy diet, can support healthy digestion.
- All foods made from seafood; meat, poultry, and eggs; beans, peas, and lentils; and nuts, seeds, and soy products are part of the Protein Foods Group. Proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. They are also building blocks for enzymes, hormones, and vitamins.
- The Dairy Group includes milk, yogurt, cheese, lactose-free milk, and fortified soy milk, and yogurt. Calcium and vitamin D are important nutrients at any age. Intake of dairy products that contain these nutrients helps to improve bone health, especially in children and adolescents, when bone mass is being built.
Learn more about child health and nutrition with one of these courses at H&H Child Care Training Center.
- Health and Nutrition
- Healthy Habits from the Start
- On My Plate: Children's Nutrition
- The First Year: Feeding Infants
MyPlate. (2022). Retrieved 18 February 2022, from https://www.myplate.gov/
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