After complaining about how kids could get so fat while the parents were on watch I found this article on Spark People. It has some great advice and what your children really need. When my son was running cross country and he was 15 years old and 6'7", we figured his caloric needs at 4,000 calories a day. That was a lot of peanut butter and honey sandwiches! He even took weight gainer to no avial, still lost weight. He only weighed 160 lbs! I guess too big is not always the problem!
Blueprint for a Healthy Diet
The food pyramid is still the best blueprint for building a balanced diet. At http://www.mypyramid.gov/, you can obtain a personalized nutrition plan for each member of the family. A healthy diet will help your children build bodies that go the distance. Here is what they need most each day.
Food Group
Serving Size
# of Servings
A Serving Looks Like...
Grains bread, cereal, rice, pasta*Go for whole grains at least 1/2 of the time.
- 1 slice bread- 1 oz cereal- 1/2 cup pasta, rice, grits, hot cereal- 1/2 English muffin, bun, bagel- 1 tortilla- 1 small muffin
Kids 6-126-9 servingsTeen Girls6-9 servingsTeen Boys9-11 servings
1/2 cup = tennis ball1 oz. = a large fist
Vegetables
- 1/2 cup juice- 1/2 cup cooked - 1 cup raw, leafy
Kids 6-123-4 servingsTeen Girls3-4 servingsTeen Boys4-5 servings
1/2 cup = tennis ball1 cup = a large fist
Fruits
- 1/2 cup juice- 1 medium fruit- 1 cup berries- 1/2 cup canned - 1/2 grapefruit- 1/4 cantaloupe- 1/4 cup dried
Kids 6-122-3 servingsTeen Girls2-3 servingsTeen Boys3-4 servings
1/4 cup = golf ball1/2 cup = tennis ball1 cup = a large fist
Dairy Products
- 1 cup milk- 1 cup yogurt- 1 oz cheese- 1/2 cup cottage cheese, pudding, frozen yogurt
Kids 6-122-3 servingsTeen Girls3+ servingsTeen Boys3+ servings
1 oz cheese = 4 dice
Meats & Beans
- 2-3 oz cooked, lean meat or fish- 2 tbsp peanut butter- 1 egg- 1/4 cup nuts, seeds- 1/2 cup cooked peas or beans
Kids 6-122-2.5 servingsTeen Girls2-2.5 servingsTeen Boys2-3 servings
3 oz meat = deck of cards2 tbsp = ping pong ball1/4 cup = golf ball1/2 cup = tennis ball
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