Fast food diet
Prior to beginning this assignment, you are strongly encouraged to visit the My PLate website at
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html
to learn more about healthy eating for people of all ages. There are some wonderful resources for home and for the classroom you will want to check out and use.
We know that more and more fast-food restaurants are offering healthy options for children (e.g., apples instead of fries). But, is it enough? Using only food options available from fast-food restaurants, create a three day healthy menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a preschooler based on recommended guidelines from the My Plate website and the attachment provided from the site. Access nutritional information from various restaurants via the Internet, or use brochures from local restaurants. When you have completed your menu, write a short 1 page reflection discussing your thoughts about the quality and variety of fast food options available for children.
Healthy
Eating
Get your child
on the path to
healthy eating.
Focus on the meal and each other.
Your child learns by watching you. Children are likely to
copy your table manners, your likes and dislikes, and
your willingness to try new foods.
Offer a variety of healthy foods.
Let your child choose how much to eat. Children are
more likely to enjoy a food when eating it is their own
choice.
Be patient with your child.
Sometimes new foods take time. Give children a taste
at first and be patient with them. O!er new foods many
times.
Let your children serve themselves.
Teach your children to take small amounts at first. Let
them know they can get more if they are still hungry.
Cook together.
Eat together.
Talk together.
Make meal time family time.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Service
FNS-451
October 2012
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
1 cup 1! – 2 cups
! cup of fruit?
! cup mashed, sliced, or chopped fruit
! cup 100% fruit juice
! medium banana
4-5 large strawberries
! cup of veggies?
! cup mashed, sliced, or chopped vegetables
1 cup raw leafy greens
! cup vegetable juice
1 small ear of corn
2 year olds 3 year olds 4 and 5 year olds What counts as:
1 ounce of grains?
1 slice bread
1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes
! cup cooked rice or pasta
1 tortilla (6” across)
1 ounce of protein foods?
1 ounce cooked meat, poultry, or seafood
1 egg
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
” cup cooked beans or peas (kidney, pinto, lentils)
! cup of dairy?
! cup milk
4 ounces yogurt
# ounce cheese
1 string cheese
1! cups
1 cup 1 – 1! cups1 – 1! cups
3 ounces 4 – 5 ounces4 – 5 ounces
2 ounces 3 – 5 ounces3 – 4 ounces
Protein Foods
2 cups 2! cups2 cups
Food group
Vegetables
Fruits
Grains
Dairy
Daily Food Plan
Use this Plan as a general guide.
Make half your grains whole
Choose low-fat or fat-free
These food plans are based on average needs. Do not be concerned if your
child does not eat the exact amounts suggested. Your child may need more
or less than average. For example, food needs increase during growth spurts.
Children’s appetites vary from day to day. Some days they may eat less than
these amounts; other days they may want more. O”er these amounts and let
your child decide how much to eat.
Some foods are easy for your child to choke on while eating. Skip hard, small, whole
foods, such as popcorn, nuts, seeds, and hard candy. Cut up foods such as hot dogs,
grapes, and raw carrots into pieces smaller than the size of your child’s throat—about
the size of a nickel.
Healthy
Eating
There are many ways to divide the Daily Food Plan into meals and snacks. View
the “Meal and Snack Patterns and Ideas” to see how these amounts might look
on your preschooler’s plate at www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers.html.