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The ‘Colorful’ Plate


October 21, 2024 | Katy Moscoso

colorful plate

Before my daughters were born, I pictured myself making elaborate homemade meals to fill their plates with a variety of foods. I’m 6 years into being a mom and to be honest, feeding my two kids can be tough, especially when they are often choosy eaters! My own expectations of feeding my kids have changed as time has gone on. The older my girls get the harder it is to get them to eat a variety of foods. We often go through phases where they love a specific food one week and then turn up their nose to it the next.

I use the guidelines from MyPlate to help ensure that my kids have balanced meals and snacks. The visual of MyPlate is easy for my 6-year-old to understand and it makes it much easier for my husband and me to put together their plates for meals. My daughter is old enough to recognize MyPlate and often refers to it as the ‘colorful plate’. Using this visual helps my kids, and husband, understand that a colorful, diverse plate will keep their bodies healthy and able to play during the day. My kids are tasked with choosing the fruit and vegetable that they would like at each meal and snack, while also knowing that their main dish tends to be my choice based on what the whole family is eating- this is where I focus on the protein, grain, and dairy items.

Now that we use MyPlate as a helpful guide, we know that although their choices may seem interesting to us (like cucumbers or carrots with a pancake for breakfast 😊), they are having something from each food group during mealtime. Letting my kids make decisions about what they eat has gotten them interested in what they feed their bodies. Because we consistently work on creating balanced meals, our oldest knows what foods to pack her in school lunches making it an easier task for us each day. Even though the variety may not be there some weeks, I am happy that she understands the general idea of MyPlate by choosing items that check off each of the food groups.

Next week Jody mentions how she hangs up a MyPlate picture on her fridge. She has inspired me to hang a MyPlate picture in my pantry as a reminder for my kids to continue building balanced meals and snacks. Check out her blog next week for additional helpful tips!


Katy Moscoso

Katy Moscoso is a Program Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. As a mom to both a toddler and a preschooler, Katy loves trying new recipes that are quick and versatile. Cooking meals that can provide leftovers to fill her fridge and freezer is a win during this busy season!

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