Canada’s Food Guide Recommendations
How many servings should your child have?
Food Group
Vegetables/Fruit
Grain Products
Milk and Alternative
Meat and Alternatives
Age 2-3 years old
4
3
2
1
Age 4-6 years old
5
4
2
1
What is a serving Size for my child?
Food Group
Vegetable/Fruit
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Age 2-3
½ piece of fresh fruit
1-2 tablespoons of
cooked vegetables
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Age 4-6
½ cup of cooked
vegetables
½ piece of fresh fruit
Grain Products
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¼- ½ slice of bread
¼ cup of dry cereal
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½ slice of bread
½ cup of dried cereal
Milk and Alternative
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1/3 cup of yogurt
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½ cup of yogurt
½ cup of low-fat milk
Meat and Alternative
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1 ounce of meat
1 egg
1 tablespoon of
smooth peanut
butter *
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1 ounce of meat
1 egg
1 tablespoon of
smooth peanut
butter *
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* Note only if no allergies are present
What are examples of food from each food group?”
Food Group
Vegetable
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Example
Asparagus
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Carrots
Corn
Kale
Green pepper
Squash
Sweet potatoes
Peas
Fruit
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Apple
Banana
Berries
Cantaloupe
Fig
Grapes
Kiwi
Peaches
Pear
Papaya
Grain Products
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Bagel
Bannock
Bread
Cereal- hot or cold
Couscous
Crackers
Muffin
Pasta
Polenta
Quinoa
Milk and alternatives
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Cheese
Cottage Cheese
Kefir
Milk
Paneer
Pudding made with milk
Yogurt
Meat and alternative
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Beans
Beef
Chicken
Eggs
Fish
Hummus
Lentils
Nuts
Pork
Seeds
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 18 min
Makes: 15 servings, 2 mozzarella bites (25 g) and 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) sauce each
What You Need
 1 pkg. (200 g) Cracker Barrel Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
 60 Ritz 30% Less Fat Crackers
 1 cup pasta sauce
Make It
1.
2.
3.
4.
HEAT oven to 325°F.
CUT cheese crosswise into 15 slices, then cut each slice crosswise in half.
FILL crackers with cheese to make 30 sandwiches; place in 17x11-1/2x3/4-inch pan.
BAKE 8 min. or until cheese begins to melt. Meanwhile, cook pasta sauce until heated
through.
5. SERVE cracker sandwiches with sauce.
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Makes: 4 serving, 4 pieces each
What You Need
 1/4 cup Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese Spread
 1/3 cup dried cranberries
 4 stalks celery
Make It
1. MIX cream cheese spread and cranberries until well blended.
2. PRESS into hollow centres of celery.
3. CUT each stalk crosswise into 4 pieces.
Prep time: 10 min
Total: 30 min
Makes: 12 muffins
What You Need
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
 1 Tbsp. Magic Baking Powder
 1/2 tsp. salt
 1/2 cup Baker's Semi-Sweet
Chocolate Chips
 1 egg
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1 1/2 cups mashed ripe
bananas, about 3 medium
bananas
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine,
melted
Make It
1.
2.
3.
4.
GREASE 12 large muffin tins or line with paper baking cups.
MIX flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl; stir in chips.
WHISK together egg, bananas, milk and butter.
STIR liquid mixture into dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into muffin
cups, filling each to the top.
5. BAKE at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool in pan 5
minutes; remove muffins and cool on rack. Store in airtight container.
Prep time: 10 min
Total: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings
What you need
 4 apples- peeled, cored and
chopped
 3\4 cup water
Make it:
 1\4 cup white sugar
 1\2 tsp of ground cinnamon
In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over
medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then
mash with a fork or potato masher
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 1 day
What you will need
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1 tub (500 g) 0% plain Greek
yogurt
1 ripe banana, cut in chunks
125 mL (1/2 cup) frozen
blueberries or strawberries
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25 mL (2 tbsp) ground flax
175 mL (3/4 cup) orange juice
15 mL (1 tbsp) maple syrup or
liquid honey (optional)
5 mL (1 tsp) vanilla
Make it:
1. In blender, combine yogurt, banana, blueberries and flax. Pulse to mix
together. Add orange juice, maple syrup, if using and vanilla; puree until
smooth.
2. Pour mixture among eight small (5 oz) disposable cups and cover with plastic
wrap. Push craft stick in centre and place in freezer for at least overnight or
up to 3 weeks.
3. Tropical variation: Substitute frozen mango and pineapple chunks for the
banana and blueberries. You will need about 375 mL (1 1/2 cups) fruit in
total.
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings
What you need
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2 apples, peeled and cut in
4, core removed
¼ cup (50 mL) water
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1 tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) cinnamon
Dash of allspice
What to do
1.
2.
3.
4.
Preheat oven to 400º F (200º C).
Combine all of the ingredients in a square baking dish.
Coat the apples by tossing in the mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes. Immediately after cooking, stir the apples in the syrup
created in the baking dish. Serve hot or cold.
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Makes: 8 snacks
What you need:
Oatmeal bites
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Trail
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1/4 cup (50 mL) whole-wheat
flour
1/4 tsp (1 mL) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon
2 tbsp (25 mL) nonhydrogenated margarine,
melted
mix
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2 tbsp (25 mL) sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) molasses
1 egg white
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
3/4 cup (175 mL) old-fashioned
rolled oats
4 cups (1 L) dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots)
3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
2 cups (500 mL) whole-grain O-shaped cereal
Directions
Oatmeal bites
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Cover two baking sheets with
parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon.
3. In a second bowl, whisk together margarine, sugar, molasses, egg white and
vanilla. Add this mixture and the rolled oats to the flour mixture and combine
well.
4. Drop 1/2 tbsp (8 mL) amounts of dough on the prepared baking sheets.
Makes 24 bites. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are starting to
brown. Cool. If desired, freeze in a re-sealable freezer bag.
Assemble the oatmeal bites with the trail mix
1. Combine 3 oatmeal bites with 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried fruit, 1 tsp (5 mL)
sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup (50 mL) cereal in a re-sealable bag or snack
container.
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 3 hours
Makes: 2 cups
What
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you need
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, soften
1 (14 ounce) of condensed milk
1 tsp of fresh lemon juice
Make it
1. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and
lemon juice. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours before
serving.
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Makes: 2 servings
What you need
 1 cup fresh strawberries
 1 banana
 1 fresh peach
 1 fresh apple
 1 1\2 cup of vanilla ice cream
 1 1\2 cup of ice
 1\2 cup of milk
Make it:
1. In a blender combine strawberries, banana, peaches, apples, and ice
cream. Blend until smooth. Add ice, pour in milk and blend again until
smooth. Serve immediately.
Need more snack ideas?
look at these websites
http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483957/k.
A115/Recipes__Kidfriendly_snacks.htm
http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/home.aspx
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/nutrition/a/0508_food_prtns.htm
http://www.permanente.net/homepage/kaiser/pdf/40863.pdf
http://www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3484315/k.
D9C8/Healthy_living__Eating_Well_with_Canadas_Food_Guide.htm
?gclid=CP69taO2qbMCFexFMgodY3sAug
http://allrecipes.com/howto/healthy-snacks-for-kids/