Kid-Size Food Portions Guide

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

Amanda’s menu

The mom: Amanda Formaro
The kid: Kristen, age 12
Suggested daily portions for girls ages 9-13:

Breakfast
2 cups of cereal with 2 cups of milk (2 oz grains, 2 cups milk)
Try this: Get Up and Go Breakfast Cookies

Snack
1 cup of milk (1 cup milk)

Lunch
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (2 oz grains, 2 oz meat & beans, 2 tsp oil)
1 cup salad with Italian dressing (1/2 cup vegetables, 1 tsp oil)

Snack
1 cup of applesauce (1 cup fruit)
16 grapes (1/2 cup fruit)
Try this: Mom’s Applesauce

Dinner
2 cups cooked spaghetti (4 oz grains)
1 1/2 cups meat sauce (3 oz meat & beans and 1 cup vegetables)
2 cups salad with Italian dressing (1 1/2 cups vegetables, 2 tsp oil)
Try this: Wild Rice Spaghetti Chicken

Snack
A couple handfuls of chips (discretionary calories)

The verdict: Kristen was not what you would call enthusiastic about the menu project (“ ‘Oh mom, this is such a hassle,’ ” mimics Amanda.) “We didn’t do this on a school day, so in reality Kristen slept in ‘til around 11 in the morning, had two giant bowls of cereal, about three and a half cups, and then didn’t really eat anything again until a good dinner that night.” Amanda adds that the back-to-school routine, complete with more regular sleeping hours, daytime snacks and a hot lunch at school, means that Kristen eats more balanced meals.