Here is a fun worksheet that you can print and follow the directions to learn what food goes on a plate for good nutrition.
READ THE LABEL
When you are buying a product, read the label and compare items. Buy the product that gives you more nutritional value, i.e., compare Calories, Total Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Total Carbohydrates and Protein.
GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHY DIET
- Protein. Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
- Fruits. Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits — rather than fruit juice. Choose fruits with no added sugar. Fruit has lots of its own sweetness. By eating fruit instead of having juice, you will ingest more fiber.
- Vegetables. Serve a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried vegetables.
- Offer them a colorful plate of vegetables and fruits. Always remember, we eat with our “eyes” first. Food has to look tempting on a plate.
- Grains. Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice. Limit refined grains such as white bread, pasta and rice. Read your label. Don’t forget, ingredients are listed on the labels with the first item on a label having the most ingredient in the product.
- Dairy. Encourage your child to eat and drink fat-free or low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese or fortified soy beverages. Fat-free should only be used if your child has a weight issue.
- Aim to limit your child’s calories from:
- Added sugar. Limit added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fruit and milk, are not added sugars. Examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, honey and others.
- Saturated and trans fats. Limit saturated fats — fats that mainly come from animal sources of food, such as red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. Look for ways to replace saturated fats with vegetable and nut oils which provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E. Healthier fats are also naturally present in olives, nuts, avocados and seafood. Limit trans fats by avoiding foods that contain partially hydrogenated oil.
- GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE FOR NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS FOR DIFFERENT AGE LEVELS: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens…/nutrition…kids/art-20049335