From there you will be able to know how many calories they need daily. "For a 4-8 year old child who gets about 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, we recommend 1-1.5 cups of fruit, 1.5 cups of vegetables, 2.5-5 ounce equivalents of cereal, 4 - equivalent ounces of protein and 2.5 cups of dairy per day” (MyPlate It may be difficult for children to meet these daily recommendations every day, but by replacing certain foods with something better they can be on the right track in any way..