Establishing Healthy Habits Early
Good Habits for Healthy Bodies
To be healthy, children need nutritious foods and regular activity. Nutritious foods are those foods and beverages that provide the nutrients and energy children need for growth and play. Physical activity or play is the work of a child. Help the children in your care eat healthy foods and be physically active.
Getting Children Off to a Good Start
MyPyramid for Kids shows ways children can eat right and be active. It shows a variety of healthy foods organized by foods groups and encourages activities such as sports, walking and skating.
Here are some ideas from MyPyramid for Kids:
Eat Right:
- Make half your grains whole. Choos whole-grain foods, such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and low fat popcorn.
- Vary your vegetables. Go dark green and orange with your vegetables - eat spinach, broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
- Focus on fruits. Eat them at meals, and at snack time. Go easy on the fruit juice.
- To build strong bones, get your calcium-rich foods such as low fat milk and other milk products.
- Eat lean or low fat meat, chicken, turkey and fish. Include dry beans and peas.
- Choose fish, nuts, and liquid oils such as soybean, canola and olive oil.
- Don't sugarcoat it. Choose foods and beverages that do not have sugar or sweeteners as one of the first ingredients.
Be Active:
- Set a good example. Be active and get the children to join you.
- Have fun together. Play with the kids or pets. Go for a walk.
- Set aside time each day as activity time. Walk, play ball, dance to upbeat music, or play outside. Children need about 60 minutes of physical activity everyday or most days.
- Move it! Instead of sitting in front of the TV, get up and move. Limit TV watching and computer time.
- Keep active games or sporting equipment such as balls, jump rope, and skates on hand for children
Let the children play and have fun outdoors. Get them in the activity habit early. By serving healthy foods and encouragign play, you will be getting the children off to a good start.