Fun With the Food Pyramid For Kids

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Chapter One

What is a Grain?

A grain is a single seed of cereal grass. Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.

There are two types of grains:

Whole Grains:

Whole grain examples are oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat flour.

Refined Grains:

Refined grain examples are white rice, white bread, and white flour.

Some grains grown in the U.S. are pictured below.

Why do I need grains?

Grains add delicious taste and variety to meals and are an important source of energy for the body. They also provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber to keep the body strong and healthy.

How much do I need?

The amount of grain you need depends on your age, gender, and physical activity. The portions below are recommended with thirty minutes or more each day of physical activity beyond your normal daily activities.

Children 4-8 years old = 4-5 ounces daily

Girls 9-13 years old = 5 ounces daily

Boys 9-13 years old = 6 ounces daily

At least half of all grains eaten should be whole grains. Below are some examples of 1-ounce portion sizes.

1 regular slice of bread

5 whole-wheat crackers

1/2 cup of whole-wheat pasta or 1 cup of cereal

1/2 cup cooked rice

3 cups of cooked popcorn

I am a food that is round with a hole in the middle. People eat me with jam, butter, or cream cheese. Some people make sandwiches out of me. What am I? (Bagel)

Fun Snack Recipe: Crazy Crunch Mix: 3 cups of Wheat Chex cereal 1 1/2 cups of Cheerios 1 cup of pretzel strips 1 cup of cashews 1 cup of dark chocolate chips

Combine these ingredients together in a bowl and you have Crazy Crunch Mix!

I am made of flour. You can make sandwiches with me. I am a grain. What am I? (Bread)

Chapter Two

A vegetable is any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food, such as the tomato, bean, potato, onion, spinach, and broccoli.

Vary Your Veggies. Go dark green and orange with your veggies. Eat spinach, broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

I have a skin with lots of layers. I can make your eyes water, and I grow in the garden. What am I? (Onion)

How many vegetables should I eat per day?

Children: Ages 4-8 = 1 1/2 cups

Girls: Ages 9-13 = 2 cups

Boys: Ages 9-13 = 2 1/2 cups

In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens, can be considered as one cup from the vegetable group. Below are some examples of one-cup sizes in the vegetable group.

1 cup of chopped broccoli

1 cup of cooked spinach

1 large baked sweet potato

1 cup of corn

1 cup of green beans

I am a long, orange, pointy food. I am crunchy when you eat me raw. You can eat me with dip. What am I? (Carrots)

Why should I eat vegetables?

Veggies provide nutrients vital for the health and maintenance of your body. Veggies provide important sources of nutrients, including potassium, fiber, and vitamins A, E, and C.

Vitamin A keeps your eyes and skin healthy and helps your body protect against infections.

Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teach and gums clean.

Vitamin E helps protect your cells against free radicals and unwanted pollutants

I am brown and I grow under the ground. You can bake me, mash me, or make fries from me. What am I? (Potato)

Fun Snack Recipe: Spunky Vegetable Pizza:

Ingredients: 3/4 Cup Pizza Sauce 1 Large Italian pizza shell 1 Cup chopped broccoli 1 Cup shredded carrots 1/2 Cup sliced red or green bell pepper 5 to 6 ounces shredded, low-fat mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F 2. Spoon pizza sauce on pizza shell

3. Place pizza shell on cookie sheet

4. Arrange vegetables over sauce

5. Sprinkle cheese over vegetables and sauce

6. Bake for 10 minutes

7. When baked, cool pizza for 3 minutes before slicing. Cut into 8 wedges.

Nutritional information: Per serving: 236 calories, 13 g protein, 8 g fat (2 g Sat.), 29 g carbohydrates, 568 mg sodium, 15 mg cholesterol.

Chapter Three

What is a fruit?

A fruit is similar to a vegetable in that it's any product that comes from a plant and is useful to humans and animals. The difference between veggies and fruits is that fruits are products of flowers and usually develop as a result of a flower being pollinated. However, some plants develop fruit without fertilization, and these fruits are seedless.

I am small brown food. My outside feels fuzzy. I am green inside and have tiny black seeds. What am I? (Kiwi)

How do fruits grow?

There are three categories, as illustrated below; some fruits are grown from a bush, some are grown from trees, and others are grown from vines.

Bush Tree Vine

Blueberries Bananas Grapes Raspberries Grapefruit Pumpkins Pomegranates Pears Strawberries Blackberries Peaches Cantaloupes Apples Kiwis Cherries

I am long and yellow, and I grow in bunches on a tree. I am soft inside. You don't eat my outside. I taste sweet and yummy. What am I? (Banana)

How much fruit should I eat a day?

As always, it depends on your age, gender, and physical activity. The portions below are recommended with thirty minutes or more each day of physical activity beyond your normal daily activities.

Serving sizes are:

Children 4-8 years old = 1 to 1 1/2 cups

Girls 9-13 years old = 1 1/2 cups

Boys 9-13 years old = 1 1/2 cups

Below are examples of 1-cup serving sizes of fruits:

1 banana

1 large orange

1 large peach

32 seedless grapes

8 large strawberries

You can be safe with thinking of a baseball to estimate cup sizes.

We grow in clumps on vines. We can be red, green, or purple. We taste sweet and can be squishy. What are we? (Grapes)

Why do I need fruits?

Eating fruits provides many health benefits the body needs to be strong and active. Eating your recommended fruit servings daily helps your body fight unwanted infections and diseases.

Did you know?

The tomato is a fruit.

Fun Snack Recipe: Edible Art

10 Canned or fresh pineapple rings or slices 5 Large bananas 2 Tangerines, segmented 1 Large apple, cut into small wedges 1 Pear, cut into small chunks 1 Kiwi, peeled and sliced (cut slices into halves or quarters) Toothpicks

I am green, and when you cut me open, I am red. You eat me in the summertime. I am a fruit. What am I? (Watermelon)

Chapter Four

What's in the Dairy Group?

Dairy is comprised of all fluid milk products and many foods made from milk, such as yogurt and cheese.

How much of the dairy group should I have daily? The amount you need daily depends on age.

Children 4-8 years old = 2 cups

Girls 9-13 years old = 3 cups

Boys 9-13 years old = 3 cups

Below are 1-cup portion-size equivalents:

1 cup of milk

1 8-oz container of yogurt

1 slice of cheese

1 cup of...