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Mothers and caregivers often find it difficult to translate lists of portions sizes and food groups into actual menus. DietDoc gives some examples of menus for preschool children (aged 4-6 years).
Typical menu for this age group
Breakfast
60 ml fruit juice
½ cup of oats porridge or one cup of ready-to-eat cereal with one teaspoon of honey
½ cup of full cream milk or yoghurt
Mid-morning snack
¼ cup of yoghurt or milk
½ mashed, ripe banana
Lunch
1 boiled egg 1 slice of wholewheat bread with one teaspoon of polyunsaturated margarine
A few carrot pieces
½ grated apple
½ cup of full cream milk or yoghurt
Mid-afternoon snack
1 slice wholewheat bread with one teaspoon of polyunsaturated margarine
1 tablespoon of spread (marmite or jam)
60 ml fruit juice
Supper
30-40 g cooked, mince meat
Mashed potato (three to four tablespoons)
Cooked butternut (three to four tablespoons)
Fresh fruit
¼ cup of custard
Bed-time snack
¼ cup of full cream milk with Ovaltine
Menu examples
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | |
| Breakfast | Apricot juice - 60 ml Oats porridge - 1/2 cup Honey - 1 teaspoon Milk - 1/2 cup | Orange juice - 60 ml Cornflakes - 1 cup Brown sugar - 1 teaspoon Milk - 1/2 cup | Banana - 1/2, mashed Egg - 1, poached Toast - 1 slice Margarine - 1 teaspoon Milk - 1/2 cup | Apple - 1/2, grated Creamy meal - 1/2 cup Honey - 1 teaspoon Yoghurt - 1/2 cup |
| Mid-morning snack | Yoghurt - 1/4 cup Banana - 1 mashed, ripe | Yoghurt - 1/2 cup Oats cookies - 2 Peach - 1 | Cheese - 15 g Apple juice - 60 ml | Milk - 1/2 cup Dried fruit - 2 tablespoons |
| Lunch | Egg - 1, boiled Bread - 1 slice Margarine - 1 teaspoon Apple - 1/2, grated Milk - 1/2 cup | Peanut butter - 2 teaspoons Bread - 1 slice Margarine - 1 teaspoon Canned peach - 1 Milk - 1/2 cup | Baked beans - 60-75 g Bread - 1 slice Margarine - 1 teaspoon Sweetcorn - canned, 3 tablespoons Yoghurt - 1/4 cup | Fish finger - 1-2 Mashed potato - 3-4 tablespoons Canned pear - 1 Custard - 1/4 cup |
| Mid-afternoon snack | Bread - 1 slice Margarine - 1 teaspoon Marmite - 1 teaspoon Pear juice - 60 ml | Provitas - 1-2 Margarine - 1 teaspoon Honey - 1 teaspoon Canned apricot - 60 g | Bread - 1 slice Margarine - 1 teaspoon Jam - 1 tablespoon Mixed juice - 60 ml | Peanut butter - 2 teaspoons Crackers - 2-3 Cranberry juice - 60 ml |
| Supper | Meat - 30-50 g, cooked, mince Potato - mashed, 3-4 tablespoons Butternut, cooked, 3 tablespoons Custard - 1/4 cup | Fish cake - 30 g Pumpkin - 3-4 tablespoons Tomato - 4 slices Milk pudding - 1/4 cup | Meat - 30 g, cooked Carrots - cooked, 3-4 tablespoons Naartjie - 1 Jelly - 1/4 cup Custard - 1/4 cup | Egg - 1, scrambled Bread - 1 slice Margarine - 1 teaspoons Banana - 1 Yoghurt - 1/2 cup |
| Bedtime snack | Milk - 1/4 cup with Ovaltine | Milk - 1/4 cup with honey | Milk - 1/4 cup with Horlicks | Milk - 1/4 cup with Milo |
Notes:
These menus are only examples and need to be varied according to season. Preschool children are not yet as sophisticated as older children. This means that the menus for four days can be repeated.
Bread - use wholewheat, brown or vitamin- and mineral-fortified bread
Margarine - use polyunsaturated, soft or tub margarine
Milk - use full cream milk or low-fat milk if there is a history of heart disease in the family
Fruit - use canned, cooked, raw or dried fruit cut into pieces to make handling easier
Vegetables - use cooked or raw vegetables cut into pieces - try out new vegetables such as cooked broccoli and spinach, but don’t be discouraged if your youngster refuses these vegetables the first few times. It takes time and a more developed palate to enjoy the flavours of most vegetables.
Portion sizes - don’t be tempted to give your child large portions, this only leads to overeating, refusal to eat at the next meal and generally creates mealtime trauma, which should be avoided at all costs.
Remember never to judge your preschool child’s appetite and food intake by adult standards. On average your preschool child is five times younger and smaller than you are, so she will require a lot less food than you do. Small, frequent meals with small, easy-to-eat portions is the secret to a happy, healthy child. – (Dr I.V. van Heerden, DietDoc)
