How Much Should I Eat?



Everyone wants to know how much they should eat to stay healthy. It's a tricky question, though. It depends on your age, whether you're a girl or a boy, and how active you are.

GrainsGrains are measured out in ounce equivalents. What are they? Ounce equivalents are just another way of showing a serving size.

Here are ounce equivalents for common grain foods. An ounce equivalent equals:

  • 1 slice of bread
  • ½ cup of cooked cereal, like oatmeal
  • ½ cup of rice or pasta
  • 1 cup of cold cereal
* 4- to 8-year-olds need 4–5 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old girls need 5 ounce equivalents each day.
* 9- to 13-year-old boys need 6 ounce equivalents each day.


Try to make at least half of your grain servings whole grains, such as 100% whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.


Vegetables


Vegetable serving are measured in cups:


4- to 8-year-olds need 1½ cups of veggies each day.


9- to 13-year-old girls need 2 cups of veggies each day.


9- to 13-year-old boys need 2½ cups of veggies each day.



Fruits

4- to 8-year-olds need 1–1½ cups of fruit each day.


9- to 13-year-olds need 1½ cups of fruit each day.


Milk


4- to 8-year-olds need 2 cups of milk        (each day)

9- to 13-year-olds need 3 cups of milk      (each day)


Meats, Beans, Fish, and Nuts
These foods contain iron and lots of other important nutrients. 
Like grains, these foods are measured in ounce equivalents.

An ounce equivalent of this group would be:

  • 1 ounce of meat, poultry, or fish
  • ¼ cup cooked dry beans
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
  • ½ ounce (about a small handful) of nuts or seeds
4- to 8-year-olds need 3–4 ounce equivalents each day.
9- to 13-year-olds need 5 ounce equivalents each day.