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Be Active Kids Newsletter for Parents and Families

Updated Be Active Kids Newsletters for Parents and Families are here! Newsletters will be available quarterly on the Web site in Spanish and English so check back frequently. Follow the links below to download and print.

Aditional Tips for Parents and Families

		Get Your Kids to Eat Healthier
		You're in Charge of What Is Served!
		Snacks Are Okay!
		Develop a Positive Attitude Towards Food
		Don't Give Up on Vegetables!
		Make Mealtime More Pleasant
		Encourage an Overweight Child
		Ten Ways to Better Nutrition
		Ten Ways to Move
		Ideas and Activities
		Recipes

Get Your Kids to Eat Healthier

You, as a parent, can make a difference in the health of your child, and these tips will help!

Just try one spoonful.
If your children are not interested in some foods, start with smaller serving sizes.

A half cup of broccoli may look so overwhelming that a child won't even take a bite. Instead, start with two or three small pieces and offer more after these are eaten.
A half cup of milk may look more appealing to small eyes than a full cup.
Remember, a serving doesn't have to be eaten in one sitting. Use snack time to add another half serving of fruit, vegetables, milk, bread or meat.

Variety is the spice of life.
Even young children understand the idea of "sometimes." Sometimes you sit in the front seat and sometimes your sister does. Sometimes you choose the television show and sometimes your dad chooses.

The same applies to foods. Sometimes there will be cookies after school, sometimes fresh fruit, sometimes pretzels, sometimes a bowl of cereal, sometimes cheese and crackers and sometimes ice-cream.

Learning to expect and enjoy variety is one of the greatest lessons you can teach your children. Remember, they are developing eating habits that will continue for a lifetime.

Encourage your children to try new foods. Teach them how food is prepared and grown, and let them help prepare foods.

You're in Charge of What Is Served!

If you're a working parent, you may feel guilty about being away from home. Sometimes working parents try to make it up to children by giving them food that they know they like.

By offering these types of food choices, you might avoid mealtime hassles, but you aren't teaching your children about healthy diets and the varieties of food from all the different food groups.

If your children have already learned to refuse what is served, changing won't be easy. Just remember that you are in charge of what is served. You may want to let your children help with simple food preparation so they will feel more involved.

If you have this problem with your children, you aren't alone. Helping children understand a healthy diet is hard work, but the rewards of good health, reduced risk of disease and an overall positive attitude toward eating are well worth the effort.

Snacks Are Okay!

Are you worried that your children can't eat all of the recommended servings in MyPyramid? There's no need to worry; snacking is the answer!

Your children can't eat enough at one meal to last them until the next scheduled meal. Their small systems require more frequent feedings. Snacks should be scheduled throughout the day, but foods should be chosen just as carefully as the foods selected for meals.

The busy schedule you and your kids keep also makes snacks very important.

Develop a Positive Attitude Toward Food

Preschool is a time when lifetime attitudes toward food are formed. Although food tastes may change, your child's general approach to food and eating are based on experiences in the preschool years.

Therefore, mealtime should be calm and is not the time for strict discipline. Also, do not force a child to eat a certain food or be a member of the "clean plate club." Some experts believe that when a child forms a pattern of stopping when he or she first feels full, he or she will continue this practice in adulthood.

Your role, as a parent, is to provide high quality, healthy foods in a positive environment and to expose your child to a variety of foods. The role of your child is to decide how much of the food to eat. Work with your child to help develop a positive attitude towards food that will last a lifetime.

Don't Give Up on Vegetables!

Parents have told us that their children like vegetables least of all foods. Don't let this discourage you. A food that your preschooler dislikes now may become a winner when your child gets older.

It may take several tries before you find the version that your child prefers, so try the same vegetable prepared in different ways. Children seem to accept raw vegetables better than cooked. Offer them for snacks and at mealtimes.

Whatever you do, don't give up on vegetables. If that veggie isn't eaten today, it may be their favorite tomorrow.

Make Mealtime More Pleasant

Sometimes getting your preschool child to eat is difficult. There are several things you can try to help make mealtime more pleasant:

Make sure the chair and table are comfortable and that your child can easily reach his or her plate.

Provide your child with manageable kid-sized utensils.
Offer small servings first.
Involve your child in food selection.
Involve your child in simple food preparation.
Serve colorful foods with a variety of textures.
Finally, if your child appears healthy, has energy and is growing at a normal rate, you should accept a decrease in appetite during the preschool years as normal.

Encourage an Overweight Child

My child is overweight…What should I do?

Do give your child lots of love and affection.
Do expect your child to grow into his or her weight.
Do have regular meals and snacks.
Do serve the same food to all family members. - Don't put your child on a low-calorie diet.
Do let your child decide how much to eat.
Do have snack foods such as graham crackers, frozen fruit-juice bars, string cheese, low-fat yogurt, frozen low-fat yogurt and fruit.
Do encourage your child to be more active by playing outside, swinging, running and playing with toys such as balls, Frisbees and jump ropes.
Do plan family activities such as going to parks and playgrounds, hiking and swimming.

Don't pressure your child to be thin.
Don't expect your child to lose weight.
Don't let your child eat at other times.
Don't limit the amount of food your child can eat or make your child eat all the food on his or her plate.
Don't have lots of high-calorie snacks such as potato chips, corn chips, cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream, cupcakes, candy, donuts, granola bars and soft drinks.
Don't let your child spend a lot of time watching TV or playing video games.
Don't let your family become "couch potatoes."

Ten Ways to Better Nutrition

It's Your Choice
Make sure that foods from all the food groups are served each day. Include a wide variety of healthy choices to ensure that there are foods that everyone likes. The more choices available to children, the more likely they are to learn to enjoy a wide variety of foods.

There's always a first time!
Children are more accepting of a new food if they've learned about it first. Read a story about a particular food or let children help prepare foods. Preschoolers like food they make themselves.

Model It!
As a parent, you have a great deal of influence on children's behaviors. If you model healthy eating behaviors, it will reinforce the concepts that your child will learn from the Be Active Kids program and make you healthier.

Happy Meals!
To reduce the stress of mealtime, keep children busy until food is fully prepared. Children kept inactive and waiting at tables for food can become restless. Try to transition children from active to quiet play just before mealtime. For example, sing a song or read a story before mealtime to calm children down. Send a few children at a time to wash their hands or set their place at the table. Foster independence by teaching children to serve themselves.

Cut the fat! Hold the sugar!
Try to limit the number of high-fat and sugary foods you serve to children. Cookies, chips, candy, cakes, donuts and fried foods are a few examples. Foods high in fat and/or sugar are higher in calories and lower in nutrients than other choices. Eating too many of these foods may cause children to gain weight too quickly, which results in obesity.

No Choke!
Take the following precautions to reduce the risk of choking:

Do not allow children to play or run while eating.
Serve foods that have been cut in strips, not in chunks. Examples: cut hot dogs in strips lengthwise, cut grapes in half.
Remind children to chew thoroughly.
Offer plenty of liquids with meals and snacks.

Fun Foods
Foods should be visually appealing and bright in color. Serving sizes should be appropriate and flavors should be mild. Serve foods that are soft or crisp, not tough. Arrange food in a fun way on the plate or have children help you prepare the foods they like.

What's Cooking?
Try to find ways to plan menus around healthful eating. Create special events involving food and try to make sure a wide variety of healthy food choices are available for your children.

Start Ironing!
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the United States. Many preschool children do not get enough iron. Low quality meats such as sausage, hot dogs and bologna are lower in iron then other meats. Try to provide more lean red meats, chicken, turkey, enriched grain products and dark green, leafy vegetables to ensure that children are getting sufficient amounts of iron.

Everyday Way!
Nutrition education works best when it is part of the everyday experience of children. By allowing children to participate in the preparation of foods, they will begin to understand that healthful eating is part of everyday life. Parents can also mention nutrition concepts every time children eat, help prepare foods, or play.

Ten Ways to Move

Just rewards!
Praise children when they are active. Compliment their creativity and enthusiasm for movement.

Peer review!
Without comparing skill level or encouraging competition, encourage children to model one another's activity. Compliment cooperation, helping and sharing games that include physical activity.

All in the family!
Concepts presented at school are more likely to be adopted if the family reinforces them at home. Strategies are available from the teacher's Be Active Kids workbook on how to include the family in the development of physically active lifestyles for children.

Walking field trips!
Combine physical activity with adventure by taking walks of discovery.

Chart your course!
Keep a physical activity log chart on your refrigerator. Monitor and post the amount of time your child spends on physical activities.

Don't eliminate!
When playing tag games, design strategies for children to re-enter the game quickly by performing a specific movement. This will ensure continuous activity and reduce the level of competition.

Repetitive motion!
Children like things that are familiar. Repeat favorite activities often, adding slight variations.

Don't melt when it rains!
Look for indoor opportunities for physical activity on days that the weather doesn't permit outdoor play. Dance to the children's favorite music.

Bragging board!
Create a physical activity and nutrition bragging board. Post photographs of children and parents engaging in healthy eating behaviors and physical activity. You can include pictures drawn by the children, walking field trip maps, art projects, and magazine pictures of healthy foods or physically active people.

Activity day!
Have your own mini "field day" full of non-competitive fun. Create stations around the play area for children to visit, including obstacle courses, games, dance activities or tag. Make sure to include rest stations and water breaks.

Ideas and Activities

Explore these fun and easy ideas and activities to help your family be more healthy and active!

Family Nutrition Ideas

Be brave! Take your children to the grocery store to help you shop for food. Have them choose one new fruit or vegetable to try each week.
Invite your children into the kitchen to help with making meals and snacks. They can wash fruits and vegetables, add ingredients to dips and pizza, stir muffin mix, set the table, put ice in the glasses or help to clean up afterwards.
When grandma visits (or any other favorite relative or friend), the children may help plan the family menu for a well-balanced breakfast, lunch or dinner. Discuss how it should be cooked or prepared.
Have your children help plan a healthy bag lunch. Allow them to offer ideas and think of healthful alternatives.
Prepare pancakes for a meal (yes, even dinner!). Cut out pancakes with cookie cutters and decorate them with fruit, yogurt, Cool Whip, berries or jelly.
Have your children help plan a party (any kind of party!) for their friends. Remember that a party may be just two other friends. Allow children to offer ideas about healthy snacks to serve. A balanced refreshment list including healthy choices is the goal.
Have your children keep food diaries of their breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks over the course of the day. Have them draw pictures of the food. Have a fun discussion about what they ate and when.

Healthy Snacking Ideas

Snacks are a great way to refuel. Small children need snacks to meet their high-energy needs. You do not have to cut out treats such as cookies, chips or ice-cream to keep a healthy diet…just limit how often and how much these types of snacks are offered.

The best snacks are rich in nutrients, carbohydrates, and protein,th as well as Vitamins A and C.
Vary the color, texture and consistency of snacks.
Mix crunchy, creamy, colorful, sweet and spicy foods.
Serve low fat or skim milk, yogurt & pudding. Serve high protein foods such as turkey or chicken.
Serve a bean dip with baked tortilla chips.
Serve no-sugar cereals such as Chex or Cheerios.
Allow children to assist in snack preparation.
Slice fruits and vegetables into small pieces and remove seeds and pits.
Introduce one food item at a time along with an old favorite.

Family Activity Ideas

Limit TV viewing to two shows per day. You can select the shows together using a TV guide.
When the family members go to the mall, grocery store, video store or soccer games, have the driver park at the end of the parking lot so everyone gets the exercise they need from walking.
Have each family member express a wish, no matter how unrealistic, for an activity that the family would enjoy. Match the wishes with realistic alternatives. If a backyard pool is not practical, find a community pool. If mountain climbing is not available close by, try hiking in a nearby park.
Have your children pick an activity for the entire family after dinner. Ideas could be walking, bike riding or playing catch.
Plan a birthday party at the roller or ice skating rink.
Encourage families to hide the TV remote control for one week. Then, have a discussion to see if they got more physical activity.
Go to the park as a family. Everyone plays on the equipment together!
Walk or ride bikes together as a family to the local library and check out a book. Make sure everyone wears a helmet.
Pick a day and have everyone agree to turn off the TV and get active. Keep a chart of daily "minutes in action!"

Have Fun and Be Active

Each week kids can have fun and be active by trying the following things…

... with friends

Dance to music
Play games, like tag and hopscotch
Play outside

... with family

Go on a walk together
Play at the park
Turn off the TV for a day

Cut back on ...

TV and videos
Video and computer games
Sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time

Sometimes

Play Time

Swing like Swing the monkey
Tumble
Play tag

Strength and Flexibility

Dance like Glide the bird
Do pull-ups and push-ups
Play catch

Often

Aerobic Exercise

Ride your bike
Swim
Run around
Skip like Leap the rabbit
March like Blue the caring cub

Recreational Activities

Play soccer
Run relay races
Play ball like Dart the dog

Every day (as often as possible)

Play outside
Ride your bike
Help around the house
Take the stairs instead of the elevator
Take a walk with your mom, dad, brother or sister
Pick up your toys
Have more fun thinking up your own activities!

After-Work Lasagna

1 pound ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4-ounce can mushrooms
16-ounce jar prepared spaghetti sauce
½ teaspoon pepper
8 to 10 uncooked lasagna noodles
12 ounces low-fat (or fat-free) cottage cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a two-quart microwave dish, combine ground turkey, garlic, green pepper and onions; cover. Microwave on high for five minutes, stirring halfway through. Stir in spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Microwave uncovered on high for five minutes more.
Lightly oil a two-quart oblong casserole dish (9x11). Spoon 1/3 of the sauce mixture over the bottom of the dish. Top with four noodles, breaking to fit.
Combine cottage cheese with oregano and Parmesan cheese. Spoon cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on next. Spread 1/3 more sauce mixture over cheese.
Top with remaining noodles. Spoon remaining sauce over noodles. Cover with foil and bake in a 375-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Rainbow Salad

1 apple, cored and diced
1 orange, peeled and diced
1 cup grapes, sliced in half
1 banana, sliced
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup diced peaches
1 cup diced pears

(NOTE: You may substitute other fruits for any of the ingredients. Try kiwi, pineapple, etc.)

Let your child help wash the fruits.
Peel and cut fruit and place in separate bowls.
Set out the bowls with individual serving spoons. Give each child a small bowl.
Let them put small amounts of the fruits they want into their bowls to make their own Rainbow Salads.

Tortilla Pizzas

8 (7 inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 ounce) can pizza sauce
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
Toppings: green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, onions, olives, etc.

Place tortillas between a layer of paper towels.
Microwave on high 30 seconds. Microwave two tortillas at a time.
Place tortilla on paper plate.
Place two tablespoons pizza sauce on each tortilla and spread to edges.
Sprinkle approximately one ounce grated cheese over sauce.
Let child place toppings they want on cheese.
Microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds (cook two at a time), until the tortilla is crisp around the edges.

Caution: tortilla will be very hot!