Printable · Ages 4–9
Food Group Sorting Cards
24 draw-it-yourself cards with foods from all six food groups, including foods that fit two groups, for sorting games with ages 4–9.
Use it with: Food Group Sorting Game: Table-Top, On-Screen and No-Food Versions
Original ChefSolus printable. Content checked by AI fact-check and safety passes; not reviewed by a human professional. Review method.
Food Group Sorting Cards
How to use
Before playing, draw a picture of each food in the box on its card. An adult or older buddy can draw for younger children. Children can draw the food any way they picture it.
For children who can't read yet, an adult reads each card's name and hint aloud. Children can point to the zone or pile, or answer with a drawing instead of words.
Print both pages. An adult cuts the cards apart (or older kids cut with child-safe scissors).
Sort the cards onto the Food Group Sorting Mat, or into six piles: Vegetables, Fruits, Protein Foods, Dairy, Whole Grains and Healthy Fats.
Some foods fit in two groups. If a child can explain their choice, count it.
Apple
Crunchy, red, green or yellow
Bok choy
Leafy green with white stems
Oatmeal
Warm breakfast bowl
Eggs
Scrambled, boiled or fried
Yogurt
Thick and creamy, made from milk
Avocado
Green inside, big pit
Black beans
Small, shiny and dark
Mango
Sweet and orange inside
Popcorn
Popped corn kernels (not for children under 4)
Tofu
Soft white blocks made from soybeans
Carrots
Orange root
Milk
Pour it in a cup
Peanut butter
Spread it thin
Tomato
Red and juicy, with seeds inside
Raisins
Dried grapes
Whole-wheat tortilla
Wrap it around beans
Fish
Swims, has fins
Olives
Small, green or black
Paneer
A fresh cheese used in Indian cooking
Lentils
Tiny and flat, many colors
Chickpeas
Round beans used to make hummus
Quinoa
Tiny seeds, cooked like rice
Broccoli
Looks like little trees
Sunflower seeds
From a giant yellow flower
These are picture cards, not food. If you add real foods to the game, ask families about allergies first and wash hands. For children under about 4, skip whole nuts and seeds, popcorn, raisins, raw carrot sticks and thick spoonfuls of nut butter, and cut food into pieces no larger than ½ inch (American Academy of Pediatrics; CDC).
Answer key — Food Group Sorting Cards
| Food | Group(s) |
|---|---|
| Apple | Fruits |
| Bok choy | Vegetables |
| Oatmeal | Whole Grains |
| Eggs | Protein Foods |
| Yogurt | Dairy |
| Avocado | Healthy Fats |
| Black beans | Vegetables or Protein Foods |
| Mango | Fruits |
| Popcorn | Whole Grains |
| Tofu | Protein Foods |
| Carrots | Vegetables |
| Milk | Dairy |
| Food | Group(s) |
|---|---|
| Peanut butter | Protein Foods or Healthy Fats |
| Tomato | Vegetables |
| Raisins | Fruits |
| Whole-wheat tortilla | Whole Grains |
| Fish | Protein Foods |
| Olives | Healthy Fats |
| Paneer | Dairy |
| Lentils | Vegetables or Protein Foods |
| Chickpeas | Vegetables or Protein Foods |
| Quinoa | Whole Grains |
| Broccoli | Vegetables |
| Sunflower seeds | Protein Foods or Healthy Fats |
Beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas are listed with vegetables and with protein foods. Nuts, seeds and nut butters are protein foods and also a whole-food source of healthy fats. Either answer is correct. Tomatoes are cooked and eaten as vegetables, but a botanist calls them fruits; count either answer if a child explains it. Avocados and olives are fruits to a botanist, but the 2025–2030 guidelines name them as healthy-fat foods. If a child says 'fruit' and explains why, count it.