Nutrition For Your Child: Ages 3, 4, & 5 Years

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Nutrition for Your Child: Ages 3, 4, & 5 Years
Children ages 3, 4, and 5 are eager to learn and become better at doing things on their own. They enjoy
active learning using their senses (touch, taste, see, smell, hear). They observe and imitate the behavior of
others. Food preferences and eating habits start to form.
Nutritional needs:
Children ages 3, 4, & 5 generally need about 1200 to 1400 calories a day, but those who are very active may
need as many as 1600 calories.¹ They can meet their basic nutritional needs by eating the types and amounts
of foods listed below each day. The lower end of the range provides ~1200 calories, the higher end provides
~1600 calories. These are general guidelines only.
Food Group
Daily Goal
Tip
Grains:
4 to 5 ounce equivalents
Offer whole grains half the time
(1 ounce equivalent =
Examples: whole wheat bread,
1 slice bread; ½ cup cooked
whole grain pasta, brown rice,
cereal, rice, pasta; ¾ to 1 cup
oatmeal, whole grain barley,
ready-to-eat low sugar cereal)
whole grain wheat flakes cereal
Vegetables
1-½ to 2 cups
Offer a variety of colors and
types of vegetables daily
Fruits
1 to 1-½ cups
Make most choices fruit,
(½ cup dried fruit =
not juice, preferably unsweetened
1 cup fruit)
Milk
2 to 3 cups
Offer fat free or low fat
(1 cup yogurt or 1-½ ounces
types most often
cheese = 1 cup milk)
Meats and Beans
3 to 4 ounce equivalents
Offer a variety of choices
(1 ounce equivalent = 1 ounce
each week
fish, seafood, skinless poultry,
lean beef and pork; 1 egg;
1 Tbsp. peanut butter;
¼ c. cooked dried beans)
Oils
4 to 5 teaspoons
Best sources are fatty fish,
nuts, seeds, cooking oil (like canola,
olive, and soybean oil)
Extra calories
150 calories
Best sources are extra foods
from the 5 main food groups;
limit added sugars
Water
Offer in place of sweetened drinks
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