FEEDING TIPS FROM 2 TO 5 YEARS

FEEDING YOUR CHILD

Ages 2 to 5 years

Eating Habits
Most eating habits are learned in childhood.  These habits affect food choices and health throughout life.

To help develop good eating habits, parents should:

• Plan regular mealtimes and snack times.  Limit eating or drinking between planned mealtimes and snack times.
• Serve meals when your child is not tired.
• Eat family meals together.  It provides security for children.  It is also a time for children to see what and how you eat.
• Keep the television off during mealtime.
• Make mealtime happy.
• Serve foods with bright colors, mild flavors, and a variety of textures.
• Set a good example.
• Pay attention to your child when his or her mealtime behavior is desirable.  Behavior that is rewarded is repeated.
• Have healthy foods ready and prepared for quick snacks.
• Plan enough time for play, rest, and sleep.
• Comfort and reward with love and attention, not with food.

Physical Activity

Children should be physically active every day.

• Walking
• Playing outside at a park or playground
• Riding a tricycle
• Swimming
• Playing ball
• Running and skipping
• Dancing to music
• Jumping and hopping.

Set aside time each day for the family to do some type of physical activity together.

Eat Healthy Foods When You’re Away from Home

Choose these items more often: 

• low fat milk, fruit juice, water
• turkey sandwich
• small, plain hamburger
• grilled or broiled chicken sandwich
• baked potato
• cheese pizza or pizza with vegetable toppings
• fruits and vegetables
• low fat frozen yogurt
• low fat or fat free salad dressing

Choose these items less often:

• sodas, sweet tea, fruit drinks
• sausages, pepperoni, hot dogs, or bacon
• fried chicken or chicken nuggets
• fried fish, French fries, or fried onion rings
• biscuits, hush puppies
• olives, bacon bits
• fried noodles
• salads made with mayonnaise
• seeds, nuts
• salad dressings
• high fat, high sugar deserts such as cake or pie

Food Groups

OFFER YOUR CHILD FOODS FROM EACH OF THESE FOOD GROUPS DAILY. 

Amounts may vary with your child’s activity and growth.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, & Nuts Group
2 to 3 servings every day

• 2 to 3 years old, one serving is:
  1-2 oz cooked meat, poultry, or fish 
  for a total of 3-4 oz per day.      

• 4 to 5 years old, one serving is:
  2 oz cooked meat, poultry, or fish
  For a total of 5 oz per day

These foods count as 1 oz cooked meat:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter*
• ½ cup cooked dry beans or peas
• ¼ cup tuna fish

Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese Group
4 servings every day

• 2 to 3 years old, one serving is:
  ½ cup milk or yogurt 
  ¾ oz natural cheese
  1 oz processed cheese
  ½ cup pudding
  ¾ cup ice cream or frozen yogurt      

• 4 to 5 years old, one serving is:
  ¾ cup milk or yogurt
  1 oz natural cheese
  1 ½ oz processed cheese
  ¾ cup pudding
  1 cup ice cream or frozen yogurt
  

Fruit Group
2 to 4 servings every day

• 2 to 3 years old, one serving is:
  ½ medium piece of fresh fruit 
  ¼ cup chopped, or cooked or canned fruit
  ½ cup 100% fruit juice
        

• 4 to 5 years old, one serving is:
  1 medium piece of fresh fruit
  ½ cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
  ¾ cup 100% fruit juice
  

Vegetable Group
3 to 5 servings every day

• 2 to 3 years old, one serving is:
  ¼ cup cooked vegetables or chopped raw* vegetables
  ½ cup raw* leafy vegetables
  ½ cup vegetable juice
        

• 4 to 5 years old, one serving is:
  ½ cup cooked vegetables or chopped raw* vegetables
  1 cup raw* leafy vegetables
  ¾ cup vegetable juice

Bread, Cereal, Rice, & Pasta Group
6 to 8 servings every day

• 2 to 3 years old, one serving is:
  ½ slice bread
  ¼ cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta
  ½ cup dry cereal (about ¾ oz)
  2 small plain crackers
  ½ waffle or pancake
  ½ tortilla
  ¼ hamburger bun, roll, or bagel

• 4 to 5 years old, one serving is:
  1 slice bread
  ½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
  ¾ cup dry cereal (about 1 oz)
  3 to 4 small plain crackers
  1 tortilla
  ½ hamburger bun, roll, or bagel
  

Fats, Oils, Sweets
Small amounts

These foods contain calories, but little or no vitamins and minerals. 

These foods include:

Salad dressings, oils, mayonnaise, cream, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, margarine, snack chips, sugars, jellies, syrups, fruit drinks, sodas, candies, and sweet desserts.

Foods Lower in Fat:

Serve these foods more often:

• Baked or broiled lean meat with fat trimmed off
• Baked or broiled chicken or fish with the skin removed, tuna packed in water
• Low fat (1%) milk, fat free milk
• Reduced fat cheeses, part-skim mozzarella
• Low fat frozen yogurt, low fat ice cream, ice milk, frozen fruit juice bars
• Baked or boiled potatoes, plain vegetables and fruits
• Soda crackers, graham crackers, animal crackers, pretzels*
• Whole grain breads, vanilla wafers, angel food cake

Foods Higher in Fat:

Serve these foods lessoften:

• Hot dogs*, bologna, sausage*, fried meats, bacon
• Fried chicken, fried fish, chicken nuggets, tuna packed in oil
• Reduced fat (2%) milk, whole milk
• Regular cheese
• Regular ice cream
• French fries, potato puffs, vegetables or fruits with sauces
• Snack chips*, cheese puffs*, nuts*, seeds*
• Cookies, candy, cake, pie, pastries, doughnuts

*Be careful. These foods may cause choking, especially in
children less than 4 years of age.

 Beverages

Children should drink milk, 100% fruit or vegetable juice, and water.  Other beverages such as tea, coffee, soda, fruit drinks, and sports drinks should not be offered to your child or should be given only occasionally.

For more information visit the Florida Department of Health WIC web site.

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