Nutrition & Wellness – Biology 50

MyPyramid.gov Now for Preschoolers

In Fall 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the My Pyramid for Preschoolers Website just for Preschoolers, children aged 2-5. The site encourages parents and caregivers to

Use MyPyramid to help your preschooler eat well, be active, and be healthy.

Customized MyPyramid for Your Preschooler

Visitors to the My Pyramid for Preschoolers Web site can “get a customized MyPyramid Plan for your preschooler” by entering the child’s first name, age, gender, and typical amount of daily activity. The site then generates a plan tailored to that child.

At the My Pyramid for Preschoolers website parents and caregivers can explore ways to help preschoolers:

• Grow up healthy. Complete a growth chart especially for your child to find out more about normal development.
• Develop healthy eating habits. Raise a healthy eater by setting a good example and practicing positive habits.
• Try new foods. Help for picky eaters.
• Play actively every day. Add physical activity into your preschooler’s day.
• Follow food safety rules.

The site provides a variety of information and resources for parents and caregivers wanting to ensure that their preschooler grows up healthy.

Downloads

The My Pyramid for Preschoolers Website also offers fun materials to download and print.

• MyPyramid for Preschoolers Poster – Download a printable 8½” x 11″ mini poster of the image on this blog entry.
  
• Two-Sided Bookmark – 5 per page, 3.1MB PDF
• MyPyramid for Preschoolers Coloring Sheet – Download the reproducible handout.
• Making Your Job Easier/ Features of the MyPyramid for Preschoolers Website – Download the 2-sided handout.

Some of the best points on the site is the reminder to parents is that:

You can raise a healthy eater by setting a good example and practicing positive habits.

You are the most important influence on your child.

You can do many things to help your children develop healthy eating habits for life.

For more information about the MyPyramid for Preschoolers, visit the My Pyramid for Preschoolers Website.

Sources:

Hitti M. October 27, 2008. ‘My Pyramid for Preschoolers’ Debuts. WebMD.

Add comment November 17th, 2008

Parents Influence Whether Their Children Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Parents are one of the greatest influences on their children’s eating habits. This has been confirmed in a new study published this summer.

According to researchers at Washington University in St. Louis parents who providing fruits for snacks and serving vegetables at dinner can shape a preschooler’s eating patterns for his or her lifetime.

Researcher Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., a professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work found when parents eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children. On the other hand, when parents eat and give their children high fat snacks or soft drinks, children learn these eating patterns instead.

I firmly believe if we teach our children how to make healthy choices, about good health, nutrition and being active; these will help them to develop healthy habits and lifestyle choices to they can be healthy for a lifetime.

Article Source: Reuters Health. August 25, 2008. Kids follow parents’ lead on fruits and vegetables.

More information:

Dyer KA. 2007 – 8. Healthy Year Round Resolutions. Squidoo.com
Dyer KA. 2007. Raising Healthy Children for Life. Squidoo.com

Image Source: Modified Microsoft Image.

Add comment August 26th, 2008

How to Raise a Healthy Child

There is so much in the news about the increasing rates childhood obesity and preventing childhood obesity. Raising a Healthy Child may be one of the greatest challenges that parents and caregivers face.

The best way to prevent childhood obesity is pretty simple, you focus on two health promoting habits.

• Teach children how to make healthy, nutritious food choices.
• Teach children how to be active each day.

Teaching children how to make good healthy food choices, how to be active every day involving others and making it fun is giving them a GIFT to last a lifetime.

Give Your Child the GIFT of Health
Remember that raising a healthy child or healthy children can be simple when you focus on giving your child the GIFT of Health.

• Good Nutrition
• Involving Others
• Fitness & Fun
• Teaching Health Choices

Read more about the GIFT of Health at the How to Raise a Healthy Child article.

Image Source: Horton Grou. Jumping the Waves. Royalty Free Use.

Add comment June 12th, 2008

Raising Healthy Children to Be Healthy 4 Life

Raising healthy kids can be made easier for parents, teachers, educators and schools by teaching them how to make healthy choices. Learning how to make healthy choices will help them to develop healthy habits and lifestyle choices for a lifetime.

Health 4 Life is a simple concept that I have developed which can be used by parents, teachers, educators and schools to help focus on raising healthy families and raising health children.

There are Four components of Healthy 4 Life:

1. Food
   Learn How to Make Healthy Food Choices.
2. Fitness
   Be Physically Active Each Day.
3. Family & Friends
   Get Friends and Family Involved so You will all Be Healthy 4 Life.
4. Fun
   Being Fit and Eating Healthy Can be Fun.

Add comment May 28th, 2008