1. “A Healthier Way for Your Children to Eat” “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” ~ La Rochefoucauld By: Erica DiAngelo

2. Something has to be done.. O Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. O The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period. O Due to these reasons and much more parents need to take a stand for their children's health Click for more information Something has to be done…

3. Follow these guidelines

4. Start with what you allow them to drink O Children shouldn’t consume drinks that have a lot of sugars. O Water and milk are actually the best options for them O However, some kids don’t like plain milk; therefore add a splash of strawberry/chocolate syrup O Just like adults they should have 6-8 glasses of water a day

5. This chart shows the calories/sugars in different beverages DRINKSIZE CALORI ES SUGAR Water 8 oz (240 ml) 00 g Low-fat milk 8 oz (240 ml) 10011 g 100% orange juice 8 oz (240 ml) 11022 g Juice drink (10% fruit juice) 8 oz (240 ml) 15038 g Powdered drink mix (with sugar added) 8 oz (240 ml) 9024 g Soda 8 oz (240 ml) 10027 g As you can see just by this chart Water and Low fat Milk are the best options. FYI: Your children may not like the switch at first, but they will appreciate less painful visits to the dentist. Click for more information

6. Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day O Start your child off right with a good breakfast O Breakfast is the first chance your child’s developing body and brain has to refuel its glucose levels, (that’s the brains basic fuel), after several hours of sleep. O Skipping breakfast can make kids feel tired, restless, or irritable. In the morning, their bodies need to refuel for the day ahead after going without food for 8 to 12 hours during sleep. O Breakfast also can help keep kids' weight in check. Click here for more of this information

7. Some options for healthier breakfasts O Whole grain cereal with fruit and low fat milk O Oatmeal with raisins and low fat milk O Waffles, turkey bacon and fruit juice O Bagel with cheese or peanut butter O Breakfast burrito: scrambled eggs, cheese and veggies wrapped in a flour tortilla. Click for more information

8. Some schools don’t provide healthy snacks so send your child with their own O Try Trail mix- nuts, dried fruit, and even add a hint of semi sweet chocolate morsels it will make your kids want to eat it O Whole-grain pretzels, soy crisps, baked pita chips, or rice cakes (which come in many flavors) are a great idea O Peanut butter on celery sticks O Carrots with low fat ranch dressing for dipping

9. Stay away from vending machines O Many parents when their on the go will result in feeding their kids snacks from vending machines O With the childhood obesity rate heightening this isn't a good idea O In fact their was a study done that looked at more than 2,300 kids and found that the ones who ate vending machine food had higher sugar intake and lower dietary fiber, vitamin B, and iron intakes than kids who don't eat Funions and Reese's Pieces all day. Click for more information Don’t do it…

10.  As you can see all the snacks in these machines are junk (loaded with sugar)  An even bigger problem is that many school still have these so what kind of example is that setting for kids?  If you anticipate being on the go with your kids all day, be sure to bring along healthier snacks

11. Lunch time do’s Do send your child with things from home instead of letting them buy school lunches O Buy pepper ridge farm gold fish bread it comes in whole grain O You can make it a classic pb & j, cheese sandwich, or a favorite lunch meat O Try and sneak in a tomato/ lettuce for some added nutrition

12. Do not get suckered into the fast food chains O Many kids are intrigued by the fast food signs/commercials O They usually choose to eat at these places when asked O However, Fast food is the most unhealthy food product marketed to children, other than sugar-sweetened beverages, and is relentlessly and aggressively targeted toward children starting as young as age two. Click for more information Lunch time don’t’s

13. Dinner time… O The main problem parents have is getting their child to eat more veggies O It is found that children 2-3 year olds (toddlers) – need 1 cup * of vegetables each day O 4-8 year olds - 1 1/2 cups of vegetables each day O So how can they get them to do so? Click for more information

14. They key is to never give up… O First, if you want your child to eat veggies, you must practice what you preach O Try sneaking in veggies to foods they like O For example, add it to their soups, pizza, pasta etc. O Give them many different options O Don’t stop trying, when introducing a new veggie place it on their plate at least 10-12 times before letting them say “I hate it”

15. Fun O The idea to make kids want to eat healthy is to keep it fun O Try the many different options there are in order to make them excited to eat the healthier foods

16. Take your kids food shopping with you  Its important for them to be with you when picking out the foods your going to fill your kitchen with  It will give them an opportunity to ask questions and learn healthier options  You can even show then the bad choices compared to the good ones when going up each aisle  Just be sure you have a lot of time to spend

17. Let them be there own chef  Recruit your kids to help you in the kitchen  They will enjoy eating the foods they make much more  Guide them as to what is healthy and not healthy during your cooking session

18. Turn eating food into a fun game Try this Directions: O 1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese or cheese spread O Fish-shaped crackers O 4 celery ribs, stems removed O Scoop the cream cheese into a bowl. (You can tint the cream cheese with blue food coloring to make it look like a pond.) Place the goldfish in a separate bowl, or surround the "pond" with them. Let the kids dip the celery sticks into the cheese, then into the bowl of crackers to "catch" a fish. Serves 2. Click for more information

19. Have an indoor picnic Kids love to try new exciting things For dinner time instead of the normal sitting at the table Take an old sheet and have the family sit around it and eat like there at a real picnic

20. Remember kids are like sponges O Putting in their heads from a young age the importance of eating healthy will cause better overall health in your child O Don’t get overwhelmed O Take the research of what's right for your child to eat in small increments and add in new things every few days