Growing bodies require lots of TLC so kids grow up to become healthy adults. According to the Healthy Eating Research (HER), a national research program dedicated to improving children’s nutrition and preventing childhood obesity, school-aged children between the ages of five and eight are ready to learn about healthy eating.

Parents also might benefit from a rundown of what constitutes healthy eating for school-aged kids.

Serving sizes

Parents accustomed to reading food labels undoubtedly recognize that serving sizes are a key component on packaged goods. But what about fruits and vegetables that come without labels? HER notes the following are the standard serving sizes for kids between the ages of five and eight.

Fruits and vegetables: 3/4 cup. A 3/4 cup serving of bananas equates to one medium-sized banana. Seven to eight broccoli florets is roughly 3/4 cup, and one-half of a large potato is roughly 3/4 cup as well.

Grains: 1 ounce. A single slice makes up a one-ounce serving of whole grain bread. Half of a whole grain bagel and 1/2 cup of brown rice also equals a single serving of grains for kids between the ages of five and eight.

Protein: 2 ounces. A two-ounce serving of protein equates to two eggs or 1/2 cup of chicken breast.

Dairy: 1 cup. A single serving of dairy can be between six and eight ounces of unflavored milk (or a fortified soy beverage). Roughly three one-inch cubes of natural cheese or six to eight ounces of yogurt also comprise one cup of dairy.

How many servings do kids need?

HER notes that children between the ages of five and eight require multiple servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein each day.

Fruits: Two to three servings

Vegetables: Two to four servings

Grains: Two to three servings. HER advises that half of these servings should be whole grains, such as whole wheat bread or brown rice.

Dairy: Three servings

Protein: Two to three servings

What about snacks?

Snacking is perhaps a bigger part of modern kids’ lives than it was when their parents were youngsters. HER urges limiting kids’ consumption of foods and beverages with added sugars and foods high in saturated fat and sodium. That’s something to keep in mind at snack time, when it’s easy to reach for something unhealthy but premade, like salty chips paired with a juice box loaded with added sugars, rather than something more nutritious that requires preparation. But HER urges parents to pick snacks that include items from two of the food groups noted above.