3 TO 3½ YEARS

Being three is fun for me!

I am curious and may ask a lot of questions. I need your help to LEARN NEW THINGS.

I MAY BE a choosy eater at times. 

I might like a food one day, but not the next. It’s okay if I eat a lot sometimes, and not very much at other times. Some days I may be hungrier than other days, this is normal. I will eat when I am hungry.

I may be cautious about eating new foods. I might need to see a food 10 or more times before I learn to like it. Please keep offering it, but don’t force me to eat. 

REMEMBER:

I NEED YOU TO TEACH ME:

HERE’S WHAT WILL HELP:

A mother and daughter in the kitchen, likely preparing food or engaging in a cooking activity together.

Here are some examples of what meal and snack portion sizes might look like on my plate.

Breakfast

½ cup 100% orange juice

½ cup diced bell pepper

A young child eating breakfast, likely sitting at a table with a bowl or plate of food.

1 slice whole grain toast

1 cooked, scrambled egg

½ cup shredded cheese

Lunch

½ cup sliced in half grapes

½ cup cooked, sliced carrots

A young child sitting at a table, eating lunch with a focused or happy expression.

½ medium whole grain pita bread

with 1 ounce sliced, lean deli turkey

with 1 slice cheese

½ cup water

Snacks

A young child enjoying a snack, possibly sitting at a table or on the floor.

2 or 3 whole grain crackers

with 1 stick string cheese, quartered lengthwise

1 slice whole grain bread

with 1 tablespoon peanut butter spread thin

 ½ cup low-fat milk

water between meals and snacks

Dinner

½ cup sliced pear

½ cup cooked, diced mixed vegetables

½ cup low-fat milk

A young child eating dinner, likely sitting at a table with a plate of food.

¼ cup cooked brown rice

¼ cup cooked pinto beans

Daily Suggested Food Group Amounts

FRUITS

3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cups total)

Cooked or soft, raw fruit.

Mashed, sliced, or chopped.

Offer a variety: red, yellow, orange, blue, and green.

VEGETABLES

3 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(1½ cups total)

Raw or cooked, mashed, sliced, or chopped veggies.

Offer a variety: dark green, orange, red, yellow, and purple.

GRAINS

6-8 servings a day
1 serving = ½ ounce
(3-4 ounces total)

Whole grain bread, tortillas, rice, noodles.

Dry or cooked cereal.

PROTEINS

3-4 servings a day
1 serving = 1 ounce
(3-4 ounces total)

Cooked lean meat, poultry, or seafood.

Eggs.

Cooked beans, peas, or tofu.

Peanut butter.

DAIRY

5 servings a day
1 serving = ½ cup
(2½ cups total)

Low-fat milk.

Yogurt.

Cheese.

Look what I can do!

Keep me safe and healthy.

Take me to the doctor for my check-up.

Help me brush my teeth 2 times a day and floss daily. 

We need to wash our hands often. Teach me how to wash my hands with warm water and soap. I need to wash them for 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

I need simple rules. Set limits on when, where, and how often we have screen time. Talk about what I’m learning as we watch together, and keep me safe from what I shouldn’t see. Let’s focus on each other during meals and snacks, not a screen.