In the Food Guide Pyramid:

• Name the foods.
• Name 5-A-DAY fruits and vegetables.
• Name foods high in fat and sugar.
• Name foods low in fat and sugar.
• Name foods you eat that are whole grain.
• Count the number of foods in each food group that you ate at lunch or as a snack.
• Name foods in the Food Guide Pyramid eaten by family members.

Practice lifetime nutrition skills. Name foods and amounts to plan for a child's meal. Name food activities for preschoolers' experiences. Check: More than six choices from the "Use Sparingly" column is an alert. How can high fat/sugar foods be made low in fat or sugar?

Children:2-6 Years/Serving Sizes	Use Sparingly		B	L	D	S	Menu
MILK-YOGURT-CHEESE 2 servings 1 cup milk 8 ounces yogurt 1 1/2 ounces natural cheese 2 ounces processed cheese	ice cream pizza quiche	#	#	#	#	#	Items
MEAT-POULTRY-FISH-EGGS-NUTS Servings totaling 3 to 4 ounces lean 1 ounce lean meat, fish, poultry 1/2 cup cooked dried beans 1 egg	sausage/bacon hot dog luncheon meat peanut butter fried food	#	#	#	#	#	Items
FRUITS-2 Servings (Fruit drink does not count) small piece of fruit small melon wedge 1/2 cup fruit juice 1/3 cup berries, sliced or cooked fruit 3 tablespoons dried fruit	fruit pie fried apples	#	#	#	#	#	Items
VEGETABLES-3 Servings (Dark green and deep orange; starchy, dry beans/peas) 1/3 cup cooked or raw 2/3 cup raw leafy greens	french fries fried veges potato chips	#	#	#	#	#	Items
BREAD, CEREAL, RICE and PASTA 6 servings (several whole grain) 1/2-1 slice bread 1 1/2 large or 3 small crackers 1/3 cup cooked rice, cereal, pasta 2/3 ounces ready-to-eat cereal (1/2 cup) 1/2-1 roll, muffin, or biscuit 1/4-1/2 English muffin, bagel, hamburger bun	cake corn chips pastry croissant cookies	#	#	#	#	#	Items
USE SPARINGLY FATS: sour cream, cream cheese, vegetable oil, salad dressing, butter/margarine SWEETS: sugar, candy, molasses, honey, syrup, soft drinks		#	#	#	#	#	Items

What Can You Improve?

Test Your Knowledge: Energy Nutrients for Preschoolers

During the first year of life, the baby's weight triples and length increases by 50 percent. From ages 2 through 5, the child grows about 2-1/2 inches in height and gains 4 to 5 pounds a year. Actual calorie needs vary with rates of growth and activity patterns. The energy intake for moderately active children during the preschool years ranges from 1000 to 2400 calories per day.

Q. Should I lower fat content of the child's diet below 30 percent of calories?

Nationwide food habit surveys report fat intakes greater than 30 percent calories as fat for children. Dietary guidelines recommend limiting fat in children as young as 2 years to reduce heart disease risks. This does not mean decreasing use of meats or dairy products, but switching from high-fat choices to lean meats and skim or low-fat milk. Always continue whole milk until 2 years of age.

Q. What kind of weight loss diet is recommended for children?

Q. How can I limit fat and sugar in my child's diet without denying treats?

Q. Should salt be limited for children?

Q. Should children clean the plate at meal time? eat at set meal times? taste everything on the plate? eat what family members eat? exercise?

Food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid provide nutrients without depending on supplements or on highly fortified foods. Vitamin deficiency in U.S. children is rare. Supplements are given to children for a short time to help overcome problems. If you use vitamin supplements:

1. Check the expiration date.
2. Select age appropriate multivitamin supplements containing about 100 percent of the child's Recommended Dietary Allowances. Do not megadose with 10 or 20 times the recommended amount.
3. Select vitamins with the greatest number of nutrients, not substances for which no requirement is known.
4. Keep out of reach of children to prevent iron poisoning.

Teach Children Food Choice Skills Using These Techniques
Food Choices	Providing the right foods results in nutritious food choices by the child, even if the child is a picky eater. The trick is to provide a variety of nutritious choices from the Food Guide Pyramid. Do not have high fat/high sweet foods available to fill up the child or to reward for behaviors.
Modeling	Children eat what they see others eating at meals and snacks. If you drink milk, they drink milk. If you eat vegetables, they eat vegetables. If you fill up on junk food, the child fills up on junk food. Be the child's model.
Familiarity	Children eat what they experience--foods they learn to prepare and to eat, foods they see in the grocery store, food habits they see on television.
Reward/Punishment	Do not send children away from the table as punishment. Do not reward with sweets for "good" behaviors. "YUCKY" food (healthy food) is often eaten to obtain "YUMMY" food (rich treats). Foods used as rewards, celebrations, and treats are usually high in fat, sugar, and salt. Do an image check for YUMMY-YUCKY foods with children for meanings, hidden messages, and food choices.
Parenting Style	Permissive or Authoritative Caregiving styles do not matter. More important is consistency (not loving one minute and hating the next; one caregiver not dominating or contradicting the other) and appropriateness (not denying meals or rewarding with rich food choices; cheerleading ("you're wonderful"); or not saying "No" when the child's safety is at risk.
Interaction	PCI (Parent-Child Interaction) teaches the child to cope, figure things out, and make decisions--each telling ideas, asking questions, listening to others, and letting others know they are OK. To increase PCI, use the "What Do You Think?" game activities to talk about ideas.

Game: What Do You Think?

Share ideas and talk about feelings

1. Pick a family:	your family	another family	TV family	TV ad family
2. Pick a topic:	favorite food celebration food a television example yummy-yucky foods	new food experience sugar a surprise favorite bread	fat food for illness a carried food favorite vegetable	place to eat salt kitchen activity
3. Pick a response:	ASK	LISTEN	TELL	HUG