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)

Any questions? Ask DietDoc

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