Ms.

Rose

Rambles
January

Coming Soon:

Eating Right Food Groups:

Dairy
What did you eat for breakfast today? Dinner
yesterday? Do you remember how much fruit youve
eaten this week? We all know that it is important to eat
healthy, but often times its easier said than done. It
seems like everyday theres new information about
serving sizes, nutrients, and calories. Over the next few
weeks Im going be discussing the food groups and the
current recommendations for childrens dietary needs.
Currently, the USDA (United States Department of
Agriculture) recognizes five main food groups: fruits,
vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. All oils essential
to our health can be found the above food groups, so
there oils and fats are no longer recognized as their own
food group. You might be familiar with the traditional
food pyramid, however the USDA now recommends a
new graphic (seen above) to better visualize
recommended serving sizes.
The first of the food groups is the dairy group.
This group includes milk, cheese, yogurt,
lactose-free milk, milk-based desserts,
and calcium-fortified soymilks. The
USDA recommends that children
have 2-3 cups from this group
each day.