Kid-Size Food Portions Guide

Tami’s menu

It’s not hard to fit the suggested foods into your child’s day. Take a look at this real-life sample menu.

The mom: Tami Rose, Mount Holly, NC
The kid: Andy, age 9
Suggested daily portions for boys ages 9-13:

Grains: 6 oz
Vegetables: 2 ½ cups
Fruit: 1 ½ cups
Milk: 3 cups
Meat and Beans: 5 ounces
Oils: 5 teaspoons

Breakfast
6 oz yogurt (3/4 milk serving)
Try this: Tropical Breakfast Smoothie

Snack
20 mini pretzels (2 grain servings)
water

Lunch
Bagel with 2 oz turkey (2 oz grains and 2 oz meat)
2 large stalks of celery (1 cup vegetables)
1 ½ oz cubed cheddar cheese (1 cup milk)
¼ cup low-fat ranch dressing (1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp oil)
2 cookies (discretionary calories)
1 juice box (discretionary calories)
Try this: Ants on a Log

Snack
½ cup vanilla pudding (1/2 cup milk)
3 slices of cantaloupe (1 ½ cups fruit)

Dinner
1 boneless chicken breast (3 oz meat)
4 potato perogies (2 oz grains and ¼ cup vegetables)
1 cup green beans (1 cup vegetables)
light margarine (4 tsp oils)
½ cup skim chocolate milk (1/2 cup milk)
Try this: Lemon-Pepper Green Beans

The verdict: “I was surprised at the amount of food Andy could eat in a day and still fit within the guidelines,” says Tami. “He’s going through a growth spurt right now and is able to eat an unreal amount of food!”