• Serve smaller portions for smaller kids. Just like older kids and adults, toddlers and preschoolers need foods from all the food groups, just in smaller amounts because they need fewer calories. Start by serving them small portions at meals and snacks and let them ask for more. By four years of age, most children are ready for regular-size portions. Learn more about feeding toddlers and preschoolers.
• Let children take charge. Offer a variety of nutritious foods at meals and snacks, but let kids decide what and how much to eat. This encourages them to listen to their own body cues and choose amounts that are “just right” for them. Give them time to eat so they can tune into these signals. Don’t worry if their appetites vary from day-to-day or from one meal or snack to the next. That’s natural depending on the time of day, how hungry, active or tired they are, whether they’re familiar with foods—or even experiencing a growth spurt.
• Don’t overfeed ‘tweens and teens. For older kids, it’s important that portion sizes aren’t too big, which can lead to unhealthy weight gain. Talk with your kids about reasonable portions for favorites like fast food and make it a family practice to order smaller-size burgers, fries and drinks when you eat together or split an entrée or dessert when dining out. Serve small portions of treats like cookies, candy and soft drinks—a 100-calorie portion is reasonable. Try NABISCO 100-CALORIE PACKS for lunches and snacks. Learn more about feeding ‘tweens and teens.
• Get a helping hand with portion sizes. A fun way to teach kids about “right-size” portions is to compare certain portions of foods and beverages to parts of your hand. For instance, a 3-ounce portion of cooked meat is about the size of your palm.
• Use label serving sizes as a guide. A food’s serving size on the Nutrition Facts panel might be different than the actual portion size your child eats, but you can use this information to track whether they are eating recommended amounts from each MyPyramid food group. For example, MyPyramid recommends that a moderately active 10-year-old eat 2½ cups of vegetables a day. If the label serving size is ½ cup, and your child eats 1 cup, he needs 1½ more cups to meet their daily recommendation.

MyPyramid’s Daily Food Amounts for Kids

The chart below shows sample daily calorie levels and recommended amounts from each MyPyramid food group for moderately active kids of different ages. Use it as a guide, but know that children vary.

To get a “personal pyramid plan” for your child, go to www.MyPyramid.gov.