New Eating Right Food Pyramid

Hot off the press and ready to serve you, check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children. A spin off of the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid, the new graphic can help you plan healthy menus and make wise teaching choices for children ages two to six.

Like its predecessor, the new Pyramid for Young Children offers a simple visual guide to the kinds of food to choose every day for good nutrition. The five major food groups are pictured as blocks stacked pyramid style. Like the original Pyramid, visual blocks containing food groups that should be eaten more often are larger and located at the base of the pyramid. Smaller blocks near the top contain foods to be eaten in moderation.

Now that we know how the two Pyramids are alike, how are they different? Besides being brighter, bolder, and emanating fun, the new Pyramid for Young Children offers the following features:

• Pictures of active children around the pyramid to encourage physical activity.
• Pictures of foods that are commonly eaten by young children today, including a soft-pack fruit juice box and a snack carton of single-serve peaches.
• Food groups with shorter names, such as "Grain Group," instead of the previous "Bread, Cereal, Rice, & Pasta Group."
• The number of servings per food group as single numbers and not a range, making it simpler and, subsequently, more teacher-friendly.
• Foods in single serving portions, when possible.
• Daily needs from the Milk Group for children ages two-six indicated as two servings.

USING THE PYRAMID

Follow the Pyramid to build a daily diet for the children in your care. Remember, two- to three-year-old children need the same number of servings as four- to six-year-old children; but they may need smaller portions, i.e., about 2/3 of a standard serving, except for the milk, which remains the same.

Grab Grains Start with a base of grain foods at every meal. From pasta to pita, bread, cereal, bagels, or rice, grains should form the bulk of the diet. When shopping for grain foods, purchase whole wheat and enriched products. They are loaded with B vitamins and beneficial fiber. Children need grains for energy to grow, develop, play, and learn.

Vary Vegetables When it comes to eating veggies, grandma was on target. She told you to "Eat 'em," and registered dietitians agree. Often disliked by many youngsters, you will find vegetables located in the Pyramid's mid-section, right next to the fruits. They are loaded with important nutrients and phytochemicals, such as beta carotene. Studies show that these substances may stave off diseases later in life.

From spinach to lettuce, which one should you serve? As a rule of thumb, the deeper the color, the more nutrients the vegetable contains. Experts recommend eating a wide variety to reap the most benefits. To encourage veggie eating, introduce different vegetables from time to time, and try to make it fun. For example, asking if broccoli looks like a "baby tree" may help it get inside a little tummy. Because vegetables may never get a second chance to make a good first impression, encourage children to eat them, but never force.

Fill Up On Fruit Fruits are nature's healthy "fast" foods and are loaded with carbohydrates for energy and zest. From apricots, mangos, and strawberries to peaches and pears, fruits furnish vitamins A and C, which are necessary for healthy eyes, skin, and blood. When menu planning for preschoolers each day, include fruit or fruit juice rich in vitamin C, such as berries, melon, or citrus fruit. Our bodies do not store "C," so it is needed each day.

Add Milk to the Menu Besides milk, other dairy foods like yogurt and cheese are in this group. This food group provides protein, bone-building calcium, and vitamin D, and it is easy for young children to consume the recommended two daily servings. A cheese sandwich, yogurt shakes, or milk on breakfast cereal all count toward the goal.

Mix in Some Meat Fish, poultry, dry beans, eggs, peanut butter, and meats are in this group. The recommended two servings provide protein for muscle development and iron for healthy blood. This is very important, because a leading nutritional problem in preschoolers nationwide is iron deficiency anemia. While children need meat group foods daily, they do not need excess fat. When preparing meat, remember to bake, broil, or grill rather than fry.

Learning by Example

Children learn by example rather than words. Their eyes are like video cameras and their brains like high-tech computers. When it comes to making food choices, they get their cues from the adults in their lives. Families, teachers, and other adults can set good examples by eating a variety of foods and exercising regularly. Involving youngsters in food activities, from growing their own vegetables to making salads in zipper lock-type bags, reinforces the concept of healthful eating with a variety of foods. Tap into the power of the Pyramid to make menu planning for preschoolers fun!

Paula Mydlenski, MS, RD, CDN
Nutrition Specialist, TTAS, Region IV Head Start Quality Improvement Centers, Western Kentucky University

Resources

The American Dietetic Association/National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics, Consumer Nutrition Hot Line, 800-366-1655, www.eatright.org

USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), 1120 20th St., NW, Suite 200, North Lobby, Washington, D.C. 20036-3406. The Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children and the booklet entitled "Tips for Using the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children 2 to 6 years old" may be accessed through the CNPP Home Page, www.usda.gov/cnpp.