Kids' Serving Sizes for Fruits & Vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables is crucial to good health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For very young children, aim for 1 tbsp. of each per year of age, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends. Older kids need about 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 cups of fruit daily.
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Vegetable Types
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Five broccoli florets or six baby carrots equals 1/2 cup. Encourage kids to eat a variety of vegetables, but choices like broccoli and carrots appeal to most kids. Both are nutrition powerhouses with lots of vitamins A and C as well as being good sources of fiber. Also, remember that 2 cups equals the recommended 1 cup serving when eating raw leafy greens such as spinach or Romaine lettuce.
Fruit Types
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Keep a variety of fruit on hand for healthy snacking. Fruit is not a hard sell for most kids. Capitalize on its popularity by keeping in-season fruit available and ready to eat. Kid-friendly options include bananas for potassium, blueberries for antioxidant benefits and Vitamin K as well as oranges or other citrus for Vitamin C and fiber.
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Serving-size Examples
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A small apple provides two-thirds of a child's daily fruit needs. Be wary of overdoing fruit juices for your child and make sure you serve 100 percent juice with no added sugar, according to the Mayo Clinic. One juice serving is 4 ounces. That equals one daily fruit serving. Examples of a 1-cup serving are one small apple, one large banana, eight strawberries, two large celery stalks and one large sweet potato. Help kids eat healthy by letting them choose from up to three different fruits or vegetables at each meal.
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References
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- Photo Credit young boy eating watermelon image by sonya etchison from Fotolia.com tray of vegetables image by Albert Lozano from Fotolia.com Fruit image by Tabitha Little from Fotolia.com girl image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
