Fun With the Food Pyramid For Kids is the new version of the USDA food pyramid, formatted and designed for young readers between the ages of 4 and 13. This book is a colorful and entertaining guide for children to learn what foods make up the food pyramid, what portion sizes to eat in each age group, how they are grown and made, fun and healthy recipes, daily physical activities, fun food riddles, and much more.
Fun With the Food Pyramid For Kids
#1 Children's Guide to Eating Whole FoodsBy George Roby Nacim KhavarianAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2008 George Roby and Nacim Khavarian
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4389-0914-1Chapter One
Grains Group
What is a Grain?
A grain is a single seed of cereal grass. Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products.
There are two types of grains:
Whole Grains:
Whole grain examples are oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat flour.
Refined Grains:
Refined grain examples are white rice, white bread, and white flour.
Some grains grown in the U.S. are pictured below.
Why do I need grains?
Grains add delicious taste and variety to meals and are an important source of energy for the body. They also provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber to keep the body strong and healthy.
How much do I need?
The amount of grain you need depends on your age, gender, and physical activity. The portions below are recommended with thirty minutes or more each day of physical activity beyond your normal daily activities.
Children 4-8 years old = 4-5 ounces daily
Girls 9-13 years old = 5 ounces daily
Boys 9-13 years old = 6 ounces daily
At least half of all grains eaten should be whole grains. Below are some examples of 1-ounce portion sizes.
1 regular slice of bread
5 whole-wheat crackers
1/2 cup of whole-wheat pasta or 1 cup of cereal
1/2 cup cooked rice
3 cups of cooked popcorn
I am a food that is round with a hole in the middle. People eat me with jam, butter, or cream cheese. Some people make sandwiches out of me. What am I? (Bagel)
Fun Snack Recipe: Crazy Crunch Mix: 3 cups of Wheat Chex cereal 1 1/2 cups of Cheerios 1 cup of pretzel strips 1 cup of cashews 1 cup of dark chocolate chips
Combine these ingredients together in a bowl and you have Crazy Crunch Mix!
I am made of flour. You can make sandwiches with me. I am a grain. What am I? (Bread)
Chapter Two
Vegetables Group
A vegetable is any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food, such as the tomato, bean, potato, onion, spinach, and broccoli.
Vary Your Veggies. Go dark green and orange with your veggies. Eat spinach, broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
I have a skin with lots of layers. I can make your eyes water, and I grow in the garden. What am I? (Onion)
How many vegetables should I eat per day?
Children: Ages 4-8 = 1 1/2 cups
Girls: Ages 9-13 = 2 cups
Boys: Ages 9-13 = 2 1/2 cups
In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens, can be considered as one cup from the vegetable group. Below are some examples of one-cup sizes in the vegetable group.
1 cup of chopped broccoli
1 cup of cooked spinach
1 large baked sweet potato
1 cup of corn
1 cup of green beans
I am a long, orange, pointy food. I am crunchy when you eat me raw. You can eat me with dip. What am I? (Carrots)
Why should I eat vegetables?
Veggies provide nutrients vital for the health and maintenance of your body. Veggies provide important sources of nutrients, including potassium, fiber, and vitamins A, E, and C.
Vitamin A keeps your eyes and skin healthy and helps your body protect against infections.
Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teach and gums clean.
Vitamin E helps protect your cells against free radicals and unwanted pollutants
I am brown and I grow under the ground. You can bake me, mash me, or make fries from me. What am I? (Potato)
Fun Snack Recipe: Spunky Vegetable Pizza:
Ingredients: 3/4 Cup Pizza Sauce 1 Large Italian pizza shell 1 Cup chopped broccoli 1 Cup shredded carrots 1/2 Cup sliced red or green bell pepper 5 to 6 ounces shredded, low-fat mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450F 2. Spoon pizza sauce on pizza shell
3. Place pizza shell on cookie sheet
4. Arrange vegetables over sauce
5. Sprinkle cheese over vegetables and sauce
6. Bake for 10 minutes
7. When baked, cool pizza for 3 minutes before slicing. Cut into 8 wedges.
Nutritional information: Per serving: 236 calories, 13 g protein, 8 g fat (2 g Sat.), 29 g carbohydrates, 568 mg sodium, 15 mg cholesterol.
Chapter Three
Fruits Group
What is a fruit?
A fruit is similar to a vegetable in that it's any product that comes from a plant and is useful to humans and animals. The difference between veggies and fruits is that fruits are products of flowers and usually develop as a result of a flower being pollinated. However, some plants develop fruit without fertilization, and these fruits are seedless.
I am small brown food. My outside feels fuzzy. I am green inside and have tiny black seeds. What am I? (Kiwi)
How do fruits grow?
There are three categories, as illustrated below; some fruits are grown from a bush, some are grown from trees, and others are grown from vines.
Bush Tree Vine
Blueberries Bananas Grapes Raspberries Grapefruit Pumpkins Pomegranates Pears Strawberries Blackberries Peaches Cantaloupes Apples Kiwis Cherries
I am long and yellow, and I grow in bunches on a tree. I am soft inside. You don't eat my outside. I taste sweet and yummy. What am I? (Banana)
How much fruit should I eat a day?
As always, it depends on your age, gender, and physical activity. The portions below are recommended with thirty minutes or more each day of physical activity beyond your normal daily activities.
Serving sizes are:
Children 4-8 years old = 1 to 1 1/2 cups
Girls 9-13 years old = 1 1/2 cups
Boys 9-13 years old = 1 1/2 cups
Below are examples of 1-cup serving sizes of fruits:
1 banana
1 large orange
1 large peach
32 seedless grapes
8 large strawberries
You can be safe with thinking of a baseball to estimate cup sizes.
We grow in clumps on vines. We can be red, green, or purple. We taste sweet and can be squishy. What are we? (Grapes)
Why do I need fruits?
Eating fruits provides many health benefits the body needs to be strong and active. Eating your recommended fruit servings daily helps your body fight unwanted infections and diseases.
Did you know?
The tomato is a fruit.
Fun Snack Recipe: Edible Art
10 Canned or fresh pineapple rings or slices 5 Large bananas 2 Tangerines, segmented 1 Large apple, cut into small wedges 1 Pear, cut into small chunks 1 Kiwi, peeled and sliced (cut slices into halves or quarters) Toothpicks
I am green, and when you cut me open, I am red. You eat me in the summertime. I am a fruit. What am I? (Watermelon)
Chapter Four
Dairy or Milk Group
What's in the Dairy Group?
Dairy is comprised of all fluid milk products and many foods made from milk, such as yogurt and cheese.
How much of the dairy group should I have daily? The amount you need daily depends on age.
Children 4-8 years old = 2 cups
Girls 9-13 years old = 3 cups
Boys 9-13 years old = 3 cups
Below are 1-cup portion-size equivalents:
1 cup of milk
1 8-oz container of yogurt
1 slice of cheese
1 cup of...
