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Home › Articles › Activities › A Visual Guide to Healthy Eating

A Visual Guide to Healthy Eating

Using the Food Pyramid

By Donna Smith

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Cut a pyramid shape out of construction paper. Have your child draw a picture of each food group, or write the food groups on the appropriate sections of the pyramid, drawing lines to divide. Put the chart on the refrigerator.

After each meal and snack, have your child place stickers on the appropriate spaces of the pyramid to show the groups of foods she just ate. Ask your child where the sticker should go. If she's right, let her place a sticker on the chart. If she's not, explain why and then show and explain the right food groups. Use a different color sticker for each day. At the end of the day/week, take down the chart and talk about what changes, if any, should be made to her diet and why. (This is a great tool for adults, too!)

What's a Serving?

Grain Group:

  • 1 slice of bread
  • 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta
  • 1/2 cup cooked cereal
  • 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal

Vegetable Group:

  • 1/2 cup chopped raw or cooked vegetables
  • 1 cup raw, leafy greens

Milk Group:

  • 1 cup milk or yogurt
  • 2 ounces cheese

Fruit Group:

  • 1 piece of fruit or melon wedge
  • 3/4 cup juice
  • 1/2 cup canned fruit
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit

Meat Group:

  • 2 to 3 ounces of cooked, lean meat, poultry or fish
  • 1/2 cup cooked, dry beans

Fat and Sweets:

  • Limit calories from this group
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