| Food groups and number of daily servings | Age 1 to 2 years | Age 2 to 3 years | Age 4 to 8 years |
| Dairy Includes all fluid milk products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, and calcium-fortified soy beverage. | 2 cups/day* (whole milk or milk products) | 2 to 2½ cups/day | 2½ to 3 cups/day |
| 1 cup equivalent = 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1½ ounces natural cheese, 2 ounces processed cheese, ⅓ cup shredded cheese | |||
| Protein foods Includes meat, poultry, seafood, beans, peas, eggs, nuts, seeds, processed soy. | 2 ounces/day | 2 to 3 ounces/day | 3 to 5 ounces/day |
| 1 ounce equivalent = 1 ounce cooked meat, poultry, or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tbsp nut butter¶, ½ ounce nuts¶ | |||
| Grains Includes any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or other cereal grain product. Half of all starches should be whole grains. | 2 ounces/day | 3 to 4 ounces/day | 4 to 5 ounces/day |
| 1 ounce equivalent = 1 slice whole grain bread, 1 6-inch tortilla, ½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta, 1 cup dry cereal | |||
| Fruits Includes any fruit or 100% fruit juice. | 1 cup/day | 1 cup/day | 1 to 1½ cups/day |
| 1 cup equivalent = Limit fruit juiceΔ, ½ cup dried fruit, 1 small whole fruit, or ½ large whole fruit | |||
| Vegetables Includes any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice. | 1 cup/day | 1 to 1½ cup/day | 1½ to 2 cups/day |
| 1 cup equivalent = 1 cup raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, 2 cups raw leafy greens | |||
| Oils Includes oils, avocado, olives, nuts, seeds, soft margarine, and dressings. | Do not limit* | 3 teaspoons/day | 4 teaspoons/day |
| 1 tsp equivalent = 1 tsp oil, margarine, mayonnaise, or nut butter, 1 tbsp dressing | |||
| Calories for other uses Desserts, sweets, soft drinks, candy, jams, and jelly. | Limit to small amount, use sparingly | ||
| Use sparingly | 100 to 150 discretionary calories | 100 to 130 calories | |
tbsp: tablespoon; tsp: teaspoon.
* Low fat products are not recommended for children under the age of 2.
¶ May be a choking hazard for children under the age of 3.
Δ Recommend to limit fruit juice to: no more than 4 ounces for children 1 to 3 years of age; 4 to 6 ounces for children 4 to 6 years of age; 8 ounces for children 7 to 18 years of age.