Healthy food choices for kids - shopping guide
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Shopping Guide
Vegetables
Eat Almost Anytime
Raw, steamed, boiled, or grilled vegetables made with no added fat/sauces:
- Artichoke | Eggplant
- Asparagus | Kale
- Beets | Mushroom
- Broccoli | Onion
- Carrots | Radish
- Cabbage | Spinach
- Cauliflower | Tomato
- Celery | Watercress
- Cucumber | Zucchini
Eat Sometimes
- Avocado
- Oven-baked French fries or sweet potatofries
- Starchy veggies (e.g. corn, peas, winter squash, potatoes)
- Veggies cooked with butter, oil, or cream sauce
Special Occasion
- Deep-fried veggies (e.g. French fries, hash browns, tempura veggies, onion rings)
Fruits
Eat Almost Anytime
Fresh, frozen, or canned in juice/water:
- Apples | Pear
- Banana | Pineapple
- Blueberry | Plum
- Grape | Raspberry
- Kiwi | Strawberry
- Orange | Nectarine
- Peach | Tangerine
Eat Sometimes
- Canned fruit in light syrup
- Dried fruit
- Fruit pouches
- Pureed fruit
- 100% fruit juice
Special Occasion
- Canned fruit in heavy syrup
- Fruit in desserts (e.g. apple pie)
Meat/Protein
Eat Almost Anytime
- Baked fish
- Canadian bacon
- Chili without meat
- Chicken or Turkey, no skin
- Cooked dry beans
- Edamame, soybeans
- Egg whites or egg substitute
- Extra lean ground beef <95%
- Extra lean pork
- Lentils
- Low-fat lunch-meat
- Split peas
- Black-eyed peas
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- Tuna, canned in water
Eat Sometimes
- Broiled hamburger
- Chicken or turkey, with skin
- Lean Pork, Ham
- Lean beef (loin, round, <90% ground beef)
- Low-fat hotdogs
- Meat substitute (< 3g fat per serving)
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Tuna, canned in oil
- Whole eggs , cooked with no added fats
Special Occasion
- Bacon
- Beef (prime cut, ribs, 80% ground beef)
- Chicken nuggets
- Fried chicken
- Fried fish
- Fried hamburger
- Hot dogs, lunch meat
- Pepperoni
- Ribs
- Sausage
- Whole eggs cooked with fat
Bread/Starch
Eat Almost Anytime
- Brown rice
- Hot and cold unsweetened cereals
- Quinoa
- Whole-grain bread
- Whole-grain crackers
- Whole-grain pasta
- Whole-grain pita bread
- Whole-grain tortilla
Eat Sometimes
- White refined flour bread, rice, pasta
- Biscuits
- Cornbread
- Crepes
- French toast
- Granola
- Pancakes
- Waffles
Special Occasion
- Croissant
- Doughnut
- Crackers (made with trans fats)
- Muffin
- Sweet roll
- Sweetened cereal
- Taco shells
- Tortilla chips
Dairy/Milk Products
Eat Almost Anytime
- Fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese
- Fat-free or 1% milk
- Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
- Part-skim, reduced-fat or fatfree cheese
- Unsweetened soy milk
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Unsweetened rice milk
Eat Sometimes
- 2% low-fat milk
- Processed cheese spread
- Soy cheese
- Soy yogurt products
- Sweetened soy milk
- Sweetened almond milk
- Sweetened rice milk
- Sweetened coconut milk beverage
Special Occasion
- Flavored milk
- Full-fat cheese including American, Colby, Swiss and Cream cheese
- Ice cream
- Whole milk
- Whole milk yogurt
Fats/Condiments
Eat Almost Anytime
- Fat-free creamy salad dressing
- Fat-free mayonnaise
- Fat-free sour cream
- Hummus
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Salsa
- Vinegar
Eat Sometimes
- Avocado or Guacamole
- Canola Oil
- Low-fat creamy salad dressings
- Low-fat mayonnaise
- Low-fat sour cream
- Oil based salad dressing
- Olive oil
- Olive tapenade
- Soft margarine
- Tzatziki sauce
- Vegetable oil
Special Occasion
- Butter
- Cheese sauce
- Cream sauce
- Lard
- Gravy
- Mayonnaise
- Regular creamy salad dressing
- Salted pork
- Sour cream
- Stick margarine
- Tartar sauce
Beverage
Eat Almost Anytime
- Fat-free or 1% milk
- Fortified non-dairy milk beverages, unsweetened
- Unsweetened or diet iced tea
- Water
Eat Sometimes
- 2% low-fat milk
- 100% fruit juice
- Coconut water
- Diet soda
- Sports drinks
Special Occasion
- Whole milk
- Regular soda
- Sugar-sweetened iced teas, juices, punch, and lemonade
Fast and Healthy Breakfast Ideas
- 1 cup fresh or canned fruit (in juice)
- Make a sandwich the night before and add 1 cup of milk (non-fat or 1%)
- Limit added fats by choosing low-fat cheese and hummus or mustard instead of mayonnaise.
- A breakfast or granola bar
- Choose one with at least 3 grams of fiber and no more than 10 grams of sugar.
- A packet of unsweetened instant oatmeal made with milk and topped with fruit or chopped nuts
- A container of “light” or plain yogurt topped with fresh fruit
- Choose a yogurt with less than 12 grams of sugar.
- A container of low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese topped with pineapple, peach, or apple slices
- 1 piece of fruit with 1 cup of unsweetened milk (non-fat or 1%)
- 1 piece of whole-grain bread with 1-2 Tablespoon of peanut or almond butter
- Make a smoothie by blending fresh or frozen fruit (example: banana and berries), vegetables (example: spinach or kale), and milk or yogurt
Healthy Snack Options
- Snacks can be part of a healthy diet. Snacks can help you avoid becoming too hungry and over-eating at meals.
- Snacks can be a great way to eat more fruits and vegetables!
- Having healthy pre-made snacks that are easy to grab may help you avoid eating high-fat and high-sugar foods.
Snack Ideas:
Eat Almost Anytime
Fresh, frozen, or canned in juice/water:
- Unsalted plain popcorn
- Light or plain yogurt
- High-fiber, low-sugar granola or cereal bar
- Fresh fruit
- Frozen grapes or berries
- Berries with low-calorie whip topping
- Vegetables, such as baby carrots, cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes, with hummus
- Low-fat string cheese
Eat Sometimes
- Baked Chips
Low-fat microwave popcorn
Pretzels or Rice cakes
Whole-grain crackers - Sugar-free pudding or Jello®
Fruit sorbet or frozen yogurt - Chocolate chip granola bar
- Dried or canned fruit
- Fruit or vegetable squeezer or pouch
- Angel food cake
Ginger snaps or fig bars - Vegetables with tuna salad
- Whole milk string cheese
Special Occasion
- Buttered Popcorn
- Potato or corn chips,
Cheetos®, cheese crackers,
Goldfish®, or Ritz® crackers
Graham crackers - Ice cream or whole milk yogurt
Fruit pies - Candy or energy bar
- Juice
- Fruit-flavored candy or gummies
- Cookies, cakes, or pies
- Vegetables with ranch dressing
- More than 1 oz of whole milk Cheese
