The amount of food each person needs in a given day depends on age, sex and level of physical activity. As an example, here are the recommended amounts for children age 9–13 who get 30 minutes or less of moderate physical activity per day. Keep in mind, however, that kids need to get at least one hour of physical activity a day.
Remember, try to fill half of every plate with fruits and vegetables!
| Type of Food | What Counts? | Recommended Amount for Ages 9-13 |
|---|---|---|
| Grains | Focus on whole grains- whole wheat flour, oatmeal, brown rice. Examples of “1 ounce” whole grain equivalents include 1 slice bread, ½ cup oatmeal, ½ English muffin. | 5 ounce equivalents per day, at least 3 of which are whole grain. |
| Dairy | Low or nonfat milk, cheese, yogurt, calcium-fortified soy milk. | 3 cups a day of dairy (1 ½ ounces of cheese counts as a cup) |
| Protein | All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds. | 5 ounce equivalents. For example 1 ounce of meat, 1 egg, ½ ounce of nuts. |
| Vegetables | All types of vegetables (frozen and canned too, but be careful about added salt). Choose a variety of colors, including dark green, red and orange! Limit potatoes. | 2 - 2½ cups per day |
| Fruits | All types of fruit - fresh, frozen, dried or canned. But be careful of added sugar and fruit juices! 100% juice counts in limited quantity. | 1 ½ cups per day. Limit juice to ½ cup per day |
| Oils | Focus on healthy fats such as vegetable oils, nuts, avocados. Limit solid fats such as butter, lard, margarine. Avoid trans fats entirely. | 5 teaspoons a day |