Nutrition Primer

Key nutrition topics to lay a foundation for learning.

Healthy Eating Patterns

Commonly Miscategorized Foods

Healthy Eating Patterns

Healthy eating patterns encompass all food and beverage choices over time, providing an adaptable, personalized framework tailored to preferences, culture, traditions, and budget. Choose a variety of nutrient-rich foods from the food groups—Dairy; Vegetables; Fruits; Grains; Protein—to build healthy eating patterns that aid in optimal growth and development and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Breakfast

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is associated with better health, diet quality, behavior, and academic benefits. Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased cognitive performance; lower diet quality; and low intakes of fiber, folate, iron, and calcium. Aim to include a variety of foods from at least 3 food groups for a healthy breakfast.

Snacking

Snacks may provide about one-quarter of the nutrients and calories children consume each day. Most children and adults do not meet the daily recommended amounts of dairy, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Aim to combine 2 or more food groups during snack time as a mini meal to help bridge nutrient gaps.

Beverages

All beverage choices matter and contribute to total calorie intake and hydration. Focusing on nutrient-rich beverages can help build healthy eating patterns.

Farm to You

California’s year-round growing season and rich agricultural heritage make it the ideal state to explore agriculture education! Farm to School programs help increase food literacy, bring nutrition to life, and elevate the health of children and communities while supporting local farmers, local agriculture, and local economies.

Commonly Miscategorized Foods in the Food Groups

Consistent with USDA’s food grouping system at ChooseMyPlate.gov.

HealthyEating.org, brought to you by Dairy Council of California, is committed to elevating the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating habits.

Healthyeating.org is brought to you by Dairy Council of California. The mission of this website is to educate on issues of nutrition and healthy eating. For instance, our calcium calculator helps people decide how much of the recommended daily allowance of calcium they need (and are getting); our 'healthy eating quiz’ is a nutrition test and assessment tool or online nutrition app useful for parents and teachers interested in nutrition and health. Our free nutrition lesson plans help teachers from kindergarten to high school teach nutrition and healthy eating. And, of course, our milk nutrition and dairy nutrition facts offer information on topics such as milk and bone health and the health benefits of probiotics. While you're here, enjoy tips, online games, and quizzes to help get kids to eat healthy including kid-friendly recipes!

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