Building Balanced Meals - Blythedale Children's Hospital

The Balancing Act
Your child received a nutrition lesson on the importance of eating
balanced meals. It is important we teach our children to like
nutritious foods. Healthy eating increases energy, improves the
way your body functions, promotes a healthy weight, and
strengthens your immune system. A healthy diet contains a balance
of food from the six food groups and all the nutrients necessary to
promote good health. There are no “good” or “bad” foods. The keys
to nutritious eating are balance, variety and moderation. All foods –
including red meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits, grains, fats,
dairy products and desserts or treats – belong in a healthy diet.
As described in MyPlate food guide, everyone needs to eat foods
from the different food groups in the right proportion. For good
health, we need more of some foods, for instance whole grains,
fruits and vegetables, and less of other foods such as oils and sugars.
The best way to give your family the balanced nutrition it
needs is to incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
low fat dairy products, and lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and
eggs. Try to limit foods that are high in saturated fats, cholesterol,
trans fats, sodium and sugar.

Everyone has personal likes and dislikes, but that should not rule out
a whole food group. Encourage your child to taste everything, but do
not force him/her to eat. Because children are picky eaters by
nature, it may be necessary to present them with a new food
numerous times before they actually eat it on their own. Serving a
different variety of healthy foods each day will help your child get
all the essential nutrients even if he/she doesn’t eat some of the
foods on a particular day.
Enjoy these vitamin-packed recipes:
Strawberry Orange Smoothie
1/4 cup calcium-fortified orange juice
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered (fresh
or frozen)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in blender.
Blend on high speed until smooth.
Makes 1 cup
Tomato Barley Minestrone
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup uncooked quick barley
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
14 oz can garbanzo or kidney beans,
drained & rinsed
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
Soup Preparation
In heavy saucepan, heat olive oil; add carrots, onions, and garlic. Cook and stir over
medium heat until vegetables are crisp tender, about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another heavy saucepan combine all remaining ingredients and bring to a
boil over medium heat. Add sauteed carrot mixture and bring to a boil again. Reduce
heat to low, cover, and simmer until barley is tender, about 15 minutes.
Makes 4 servings