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	Key Links   What's a Serving? Toddlers: 4 Servings a Day Children: 5-6 Servings a Day Teens: 7-8 Servings a Day   Adults: 7-10 Servings a Day   Adults Aged 51 and Over: 7 Servings a Day   MY Serving Fact Sheets     Take the "MY Fruit and Veggies" Challenge!     Order Campaign Material

CHILDREN: 5-6 SERVINGS A DAY

By following the recommendations of Canada's Food Guide,
children can grow up and develop in a healthy way. Although
their stomachs are small, children aged 4 to 13 have high
energy requirements. Focus on three small meals and
nutritious snacks every day.

Recommended daily number of fruit and vegetables
by age group:

• ages 4 - 8: 5 servings
• ages 9 -13: 6 servings

Click here for Children one page outline

Encourage them to eat fruit and vegetables every day Let them help out in the kitchen! By helping to prepare fruit and vegetables, children will be more likely to eat them. Depending on their age, ask them to chop salad, wash vegetables, serve the soup, etc. As well as teaching them a bit
about cooking, you will be enjoying quality time with them.

• For breakfast, serve a plate of fresh, dried or canned fruit (e.g., grapes or raisins, blueberries, raspberries, pieces of peach). Then, allow your children to choose their own mix and add it to their bowl of cereal, porridge or yogurt.
• At home and for school lunch bags, plan nutritious snacks: fresh fruit and yogurt, vegetable juice and roasted soybeans, dried fruit and cheese cubes, fruit purée and cookies, etc.
• Your children “don’t like” veggies? Serve vegetables raw or lightly cooked more often as most children prefer them that way. And since they like dips, serve their raw veggies (e.g., baby carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes) with a yogurt-based dip, hummus (chickpea spread) or a creamy salad dressing (e.g., cucumber).
• Children like sweet flavours. Pour a little warm honey on vegetables such as cooked carrots, cauliflower and green beans.

5-SERVING MENUS FOR CHILDREN AGED 4-8

6-SERVING MENUS FOR CHILDREN AGED 9-13