Health and Nutrition Information for Preschoolers
Meal and Snack Patterns and Ideas
The sample meal and snack patterns can help you translate Daily Food Plan amounts into individual meals and snacks.
Meal and Snack Patterns
For each Daily Food Plan calorie level there are two different sample Meal and Snack Patterns. These patterns are examples of how the Daily Food Plan can be divided into meals and snacks for a preschooler. There are many ways to divide the amounts recommended from each food group into daily meals and snacks.
Meal and Snack Ideas list several specific food ideas for each meal and snack in each pattern. Use these sample meals and snacks for ideas on how to increase the variety of foods you serve.
Notes for using the Meal and Snack Ideas
Check the table to find the right calorie level for your child, and then choose a sample meal and snack pattern for that calorie level:
Table
Boys | Girls | ||||||
Physical Activity Age | Less than 30 minutes a day | 30 to 60 minutes a day | More than 60 minutes a day | Physical Activity Age | Less than 30 minutes a day | 30 to 60 minutes a day | More than 60 minutes a day |
2 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 2 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
3 | 1200 | 1400 | 1400 | 3 | 1000 | 1200 | 1400 |
4 | 1200 | 1400 | 1600 | 4 | 1200 | 1400 | 1400 |
5 | 1200 | 1400 | 1600 | 5 | 1200 | 1400 | 1600 |