How much should my child eat of each type of food each day?

Key points about food groups and serving sizes for children

1. There are 5 main food groups that provide a variety of fat, carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals for your child.
2. Healthy eating is important for your child as they need a variety of foods to support their wellbeing, growth and development.
3. A serving or portion is a standard amount of food that covers your child’s palm.
4. The recommended serving size for each food group is different for different ages and genders.
5. Eating the recommended number of serving sizes of each food group each day is the best way for your child to get all the nutrients they need.

Why is healthy eating important for your child?

Your child needs to eat a variety of foods to support their wellbeing, growth and development. They are still growing and developing, so  they need all the essential nutrients for them to grow healthily.  

Other benefits of healthy eating for your child include:

• maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of health problems such as obesity
• lowering risk of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety
• supporting your child’s wellbeing and stabilising their mood.

Read our tips for healthy eating in children.

What are the different food groups in your child’s diet?

Provide your child with a variety of foods from these 5 food groups every day:

• vegetables
• fruit
• grain foods
• legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and other seafood, eggs, poultry or red meat with fat removed
• milk and milk products.

How much is a serving or portion?

While it’s good to choose a variety of foods, it’s also important to keep food portions small. Too large a serving or portion of a certain food group can cause weight gain.

A serving or portion is a standard amount of food. One serving is the amount of food that covers your child’s palm. There are differences between the size of children and adults’ hands, so when serving your child, use the size of their hand to work out how much to serve them.

Use the guide below to gauge how much one food serving for your child really is:

What is the recommended serving size for each food group for my child?

The Eating and activity guidelines from the Ministry of Health recommend different serving sizes for each food group in order for children to get all the nutrients they need. The recommended serving size for each food group is different for different ages and genders.

Vegetables and fruit

Vegetables and fruit contain fibre, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. They are best eaten with most meals and are a great snack option. 

• Buy fruit and vegetables in season to reduce cost.
• Other options include canned and frozen which can be cheaper options. Choose fruit canned in fruit juice rather than in syrup.
• Include a range of raw and cooked vegetables and fruit in meals and snacks. Sometimes children will eat raw vegetables such as grated carrot or finely chopped cabbage but won’t eat it cooked. This is absolutely fine as long as they are eating it!
• We get different nutrients from different coloured fruits and vegetables so try to offer a variety, eg, beetroot or plum, tomato or strawberry, broccoli or kiwifruit, carrot or orange.

Try to limit or avoid fruit juice and dried fruit as they're full of sugar and can cause problems with teeth. If you do eat/drink these limit them to 1 serving each day:

• 3 dried apricots or 2 tablespoons of raisins (25g dried fruit)
• 1 cup of watered down fruit juice (1⁄2 cup of water mixed with 1⁄2 a cup of juice).

Tip: Have a piece of cheese afterwards to help get the fruit out of your teeth.

How much fruit and vegetables should I serve my child? 

Grain foods

Children should eat these foods every day since these are a high quality energy source.

• These foods include breakfast cereals, breads, noodles, rice and pasta. They offer carbohydrate (a valuable source of fibre and energy) and a few vitamins and minerals.
• Breads and cereals can make healthy snacks for children.
• Choose wholegrain options (eg, brown bread with whole grains, rolled oats, brown rice) as much as possible.

Note: To prevent choking, you may need to change the size and/or texture of certain foods to make them safe for young children.

How much grain food should I serve my child? 

Legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and other seafood, eggs, poultry or red meat with fat removed

These foods contain protein, which is vital for children’s development. They also include fat and a range of vitamins and minerals – including iron, which is important for your blood and brain.

• Your body gets iron from lean meats, chicken and seafood more easily than from plants.
• To help your body take in iron, have foods high in vitamin C with meals. Try fresh fruits and vegetables, like oranges, kiwifruit, tomatoes and broccoli as these are all full of vitamin C.
• To lower fat levels, try to choose lean meat, remove bits of fat you can see on meat and chicken, and take off chicken skin after cooking.
• Children should eat some fat, but too much can cause health issues later on in life.
• Restrict processed meats, like luncheon, bacon, salami and ham, as they are often high in fat, salt and preservatives.
• Start adding lentils, chickpeas or beans to meals such as casseroles, spaghetti bolognese and curries to introduce children to these as part of a mixed meal.

Note: To reduce the risk of choking, don’t give small, hard foods such as whole nuts and large seeds until children are at least 5 years old.

How much of this food group should I serve my child?

Milk and milk products

Milk contains energy, protein and a range of vitamins and minerals including calcium. Children and pre-schoolers need milk and milk products so they can grow healthy bones and teeth.

• When children reach 2 years old, you can begin to slowly introduce low-fat (yellow or green lid) or reduced-fat (light blue lid) milk and milk products.
• Try to encourage children who don’t drink milk to eat other milk products like yoghurt, fruit smoothies and cheese.

Note: Limit to 2 cups (500ml) milk each day for young children as if they drink too much milk they may feel full and then not eat enough food to get the nutrients they need to grow well.

How much milk and milk products should I serve my child?

For more information see our milk and milk products section.

Read more about healthy eating for children.

Image: Eating and activity guidelines for New Zealand adults Ministry of Health, NZ, 2020

Learn more

The following links provide further information about food groups and serving size for children. Be aware that websites from other countries may have information that differs from New Zealand recommendations.   

Healthy eating for children Ministry of Health, NZ
Healthy eating for babies and toddlers from birth to 2 years old Ministry of Health, NZ
Eating for healthy children aged 2 to 12 Ministry of Health, NZ
Healthy eating for young people Ministry of Health, NZ
My Family Recipes Healthy Kids, NZ
Portion sizes Heart Foundation, NZ

References

1. Eating and Activity Guidelines for New Zealand Adults Ministry of Health, NZ, 2020
2. Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Infants and Toddlers (Aged 0–2): A background paper – Partially revised Ministry of Health, NZ, 2012
3. Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Children and Young People (Aged 2–18 years): A background paper Ministry of Health, NZ, 2015