Healthy Kids Challenge Blog

MyPlate Teaching Resources for Healthy Holiday Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:43:00 +0000

To read this blog click here: http://http://wp.me/pyoBk-l3

Ho Ho Ho...for Healthier Holiday Gatherings

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:55:00 +0000

If I had to choose my favorite Healthy Kids Challenge message regarding healthier holiday eating, it would be Smart Servings. Smart Servings allows you and your family to enjoy those special holiday foods and teaches “moderate eating” that goes beyond just the holidays. Try these ideas:

Visualize Your Plate – Think ahead about what a healthy meal plate looks like. Use the MyPlate icon and food groups to guide your choices.
Scan and Plan – Scan the food options and make a plan to include your favorites while keeping health in mind, such as fruits and veggies. You don’t have to try every food served!
Choose Less Fat and Sugar – As you scan and plan food choices, consider the fat and sugar content. Limit those foods.
Hunger Cues - Holiday meals usually provide more food choices than our usual meals. We tend to heap our plates full! Start out with small or “moderate” portions and listen to your “feelings of fullness”. Stop eating when you’ve had enough and enjoy the company around you! You'll be on your way to a healthy holiday season.

What tips help you and your family enjoy holiday eating without the guilt of overindulging? Share your ideas!

For more helpful Healthy6 Messages, visit the top left corner of our home page.

Note: Starting January 2012 we will be moving our blog to Wordpress, so please follow us there!

Pizza, Vegetables, and a Side of Healthy Balance

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +0000

Despite what the media headlines may lead you to believe, Congress has not declared pizza a vegetable. The bottom line is the tomato paste on the pizza still counts as a vegetable serving according to federal regulations for school lunch programs. (If you want more explanation than that, read this article from the LA Times: ‘Pizza vegetable’ controversy is hot potato.)

Healthy Balance

But, honestly, the real bottom line? We all need to find some healthy balance when it comes to nutrition for kids. Childhood obesity did not start overnight, and it won’t get fixed overnight either. Don’t get caught up in the blame game. The true solution to this epidemic is that many solutions are needed, which must mesh into a new culture of health for all of us. While Congress may not have approved the changes many thought would be approved, it’s up to the all of us to do the best we can, with what we have, where we are. Many schools are already making strides in offering appealing and tasty meals (see http://www.traytalk.org/), without additional reimbursement, and we can learn from them.

Many individuals are taking action themselves to help their schools offer healthier foods and more active play, without pay or recognition, because they know it’s the right thing to do. The people who make these changes will often tell you the closer you get to healthy balance, the reward is in the health itself. In a culture of health, kids will be eating better, moving more, and enjoying a healthy balance - what can you do to help reach that goal where you are?

Congrats to My Healthy Challenge Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:31:00 +0000

Thanks and congrats to these 3 Healthy Kids Challenge fans who make healthy living a habit! They not only take personal wellness seriously, they also help kids learn to make healthy choices every day. Check out their stories, and consider sending us yours!

Emily Encourages Eating Fruits & Veggies the FUN Way

"We incorporate a lot of fruits and vegetables into smoothies. My kids eat one every day that usually has 3-5 different fruits and veggies. We also like to do stir-fry or roasted veggies with 3-5 different veggies mixed in so there is something each child likes, plus something new to try. We also love to add fruits and vegetables to ice pops! One of our favorite recipes includes a peeled zucchini, a peeled cucumber, cut up pineapple and fresh lemon juice. You don't even taste the veggies and they are super refreshing on a hot day!" - Emily Barker, Idaho

Lisa's Library Activities Include Health

"For the first three story times during June, we served cookies and juice. For the last one, we offered oranges and Sun Chips and they were very popular! One mother specifically thanked us for having healthy snacks. She said her kids don't like sweets. As part of story times, we used plastic fruit and vegetables for a word game with the puppet play "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." Children were asked to pick a fruit or vegetable and then come up with another word that started with the same letter. They could then put the fruit/vegetable "into" the old lady's stomach. They loved it!" - Lisa Moreland, Kansas

Lori Starts the School Day with Activity for Everyone!
We started a month long exercise program to start our morning at school. Once a week, the whole school participates in the "Chicken Fat" exercise CD. At first, I think the kids thought this was a lame idea. Now they look forward to this activity. Some of the teachers commented that they would like to have this activity every day. The PTSO bought two Big Bird costumes for the staff and principal to wear and surprise the students when they are exercising. - Lori McNutt, Michigan

Find More Successes and Share Your Story!

New Kids' Contests for Making Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
5 Kids Activities for Fruits & Veggies-More Matters Month (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Fruits & Vegetables: Part 2 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Preschool Activity Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:13:00 +0000

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Image via Wikipedia

In honor of the 2011 Kansas Reads to Preschoolers Week, we want to share some ideas for the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. At Healthy Kids Challenge we have a special connection to librarians through a generous grant project titled, “Reading-Smart Eating-Moving...Balance My Day”. It helped us reach Kansas kids with healthy messages, through their very enthusiastic, creative librarians. Now we have these ideas to share with you!

1. Coconut Bowl Activity Idea

Items Needed: fake plastic coconuts, toy bowling pins or empty plastic bottles, cut out letters, masking tape

Children can go bowling in your room! Tape random letters to the pins/bottles and set them up like a bowling alley in a room with a hard floor. Tape a line a few feet from the pins for children to stand behind. Let them roll the coconuts toward the pins to see how many they can knock over. Let them name the letters that they knocked down.

by Anne Harris, Outreach Librarian, Wichita Public Library. As a member of the Kansas Center for the Book’s Kansas Reads to Preschoolers state committee, Anne's been very busy helping to develop activity plans and promotional materials for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Access other great activity ideas at www.kcfb.info/chicka

2. Coconut Bowl- Variation #2

We will be using toilet paper rolls spray painted white, colorful duct tape for the lanes… and real coconuts for bowling balls!

Optional: Crack open a coconut to scoop out the insides and give everyone a taste!

by Danielle Dougherty, Youth Services Coordinator, Dodge City Public Library, Dodge City, KS.

3. Coconut Learning Lesson and Singing Fun

For preschoolers, start out your story time with information about coconuts. Bring an actual coconut to let them see and feel. Have one cracked open to see the inside. Show them what shredded coconut for baking looks like. Then read the story. After the story, pass out shakers to each child and have them stand up. Sing the following song and have kids follow the words:

Chicka, Chicka Dance (using shakers) 
Chicka, chicka, ABC. Do the chicka, chicka dance with me. 
Shake it to the left, now shake it to the right. 
Touch the floor, reach to the sky. 
Now, shake it to the left, shake it to the right. 
Turn around and clap 5 times!

Optional: Use other rhyming, active songs with the alphabet. Offer no added sugar apple juice and alphabet cereal (if you can find it) for a snack. Decorate the story time room with alphabet letters. I also made a Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom transfer for a T-shirt that I wore for the group.

by Madella Williams, Library Specialist, Finney County Public Library, Garden City, KS.

Each year, the Kansas Reads to Preschoolers initiative encourages reading to children at a young age. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to connect reading with healthy eating and physical activity messages. For more like this, see Reading-Smart Eating-Moving...Balance My Day.

Healthy Kids Challenge and zulily Discuss Healthy Eating Habits for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC) Hi Zulily members and friends! Thanks for joining us for this hour of Healthy Me! I’m eager to visit with you about your questions and concernes for kids eating and activity needs! Our mission is to help families and other adults who influence your kids to eat healthy and move more!

zulily Thanks, Vickie! We’re excited to hear about the creative work you’re doing at Healthy Kids Challenge!

Jennifer I’m a health educator, and healthy eating can be a tough sell to young students. How do you get your students excited about eating healthy? How do you make that fun for kids?

HKC GREAT questions! First snacks – Can’t go wrong with fruits and veggies! I suggest snack time should be about half way between meals so it doesn’t interfer with being hungry for the next meal. Snacks are important for younger kids to meet nutrient needs. Try lowfat yogurt mixed with canned or fresh chopped fruit, or lowfat cheese and crackers, bit size! Get the little ones involved, let them help with making the choices AND, sit down and enjoy the snack together!

HKC Now, Jennifer, on to your tough sell with nutrition for students! First of all, role modeling is key. From parents to teachers, principals to school nutrition services staff, each adult in the lives of kids makes a difference. Let them see us eat healthy and be active! Next, engage the kids, make it fun and exciting! What makes them tick? Things like tasting, science experiments, getting to work together in teams, getting up and moving. HKC offers free tips and monthly action ideas on our website, check them out!

Lindsay My almost 3 year old gets up ready to play and not eat breakfast, any suggestions? Also, any healthy but fun snack ideas for 3 year olds?

HKC Now, to answer that question about getting up wanting to play instead of eat. Dietitian Ellen Satter has a great division of responsibility for feeding kids – The parent is responsible for what, when, and where foods are served, and the child is responsible for how much is eaten or whether food is eaten. Be consistent with when breakfast is served, let your toddler help pour the milk and cereal, or wash the fruit, then sit back and enjoy together!

Angie We don’t have a lot of money and often have trouble being able to afford healthy foods. What are some good ideas to help get healthy food for kids in families on a tight budget?

HKC Angie, budgets are tight for so many families these days, I understand your concern and your want to feed your kids healthy too! Plan and plan somemore is key! Look for store specials, use coupons, consider store brands, keep staples on hand such as dry pasta and dried beans, frozen and canned fruits and veggies, and I love to cook once, eat twice. I often purchase meats on sale, cook up a pot of chili or make double batch of lasagne and freeze for another day. Keeping things like sugared drinks and high fat, high sugar snacks as occasional foods only will help the pocket book too.

Learning ZoneXpress @Lindsay – maybe there are some fun healthy finger foods that would let your 3 year old eat and play. Fruits can be fun for breakfast!

HKC Our friends at Learning ZoneXpress are right, Lindsay! Toothpicking cubes of cheese and fruit bites is so much fun. Try pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks! Or, paint faces on toast with yogurt, cut and munch!

zulily Vickie, what are some common myths and misconceptions you’ve come across about kids and healthy eating habits, if any?

HKC Oh Zulily, glad you ask, there are plenty. Many think kids don’t need snacks, that snacking is bad when the opposite is true, kids really do need that between meal nourishment. It’s not the snack that is “bad”, it’s often the food choice or the portion size! We call it Snack Attack, you be in charge of the food choices and make it a healthy snack, mom and child together! I’m thinking dried fruit in a yogurt cup sprinkled with granola sounds pretty tasty here in a bit myself! Another myth is that kids don’t need milk or dairy beyond age 2. Those bones and teeth certainly need calcium all throughout the growing years! Low fat milk and dairy foods are key to a child’s healthy growth!

Lindsay What are fun activities to do at home to get us all moving as a family instead of just sitting in front of the TV together?

HKC Your youngsters will LOVE this idea to get up and move! Write down some simple activites on note cards, use different color note cards. The activities can be from some of your child’s favorite books……..so, things like fly like a bird, sway like a bear, etc. When it’s commercial or INSTEAD of watching more tv, play with your child the get up and move game! Have him/her call out a color, turn over a card that color and together do the fun activity! Trust me, your child will want to do this over and over and over, and heh, might even forget about that next tv show!

zulily We noticed that the Healthy Kids Challenge newsletter features something called a Monthly Action Idea. Can you explain what this is and why adopting some of these ideas would be beneficial for families with youngsters?

HKC Parents and educators alike will enjoy our free e-newsletter and our monthly action idea. Healthy Kids Challenge is a team of registered dietitians and we all have backgrounds in child and school nutrition. We have developed many nutrition education tools and curriculum. To get families and schools started thinking nutrition education in the home and at school, we offer one of those ideas free each month, available by clicking on Monthly Action Idea from our homepage at www.healthykidschallenge.com It’s all about wrapping healthy eating conversation and action into daily living. If you’re in the car, why not talk about how to “eat your colors” with different fruits and veggies, then draw pix of those when you get home, make a list for the grocery store and let your child help prepare and serve the “colors” of fruits and veggies they selected. Same sort of education can happen in the classroom.

Lindsay Any ideas on how to get kids to try new foods?

HKC Patience and consistency. It may take up to 15-20 times with a new food for a little one’s palate to really decide if he or she likes that food so serving broccoli once and giving up won’t get it, try again. Remember, mom and dad decide what is served, child decides whether or not to eat, food should not be reward or punishment. Try new foods in different ways, such as that broccoli with a small amount of cheese sauce, or raw with low-fat veggie dip, or finely chopped in meatloaf or lasagne. Offer a new food along with other more familiar and favorite foods too so it’s not overwhelming to the child to come to the table and not feel comfortable with any item offered. Last thought, role model, what mom and dad say and try is very important.

zulily Vickie, we want to thank you for sharing such great information, tips, and tricks for encouraging lifelong healthy eating habits, shopping on a budget with nutrition in mind, and letting us know we can be OK with the occasional snack.

HKC Before our time is up, I just want to encourage all of you that food jags and ups and downs with feeding kids is normal. Offer a variety of healthy options and involve your kids, enjoy meals, snacks, menu planning and grocery shopping together as part of normal family routine. If you have school age kids, get involved with your school’s PTA/PTO or wellness council and keep keep coming back to HKC for help and support, like us on facebook, share in our Cause and sign up for your newsletter. We want to make a difference for kids with you!

zulily Before you go, can you share with us a little about which Healthy Kids Challenge campaign your most excited about and why?

HKC Our campaign we’re most excited about is for sure our Ten for Ten Cause, Zulily! School budgets are so tight, and yet nutrition education for kids is needed now more than ever. If every person each of us knew helped out in a small way, we could help truly a million kids have the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices and live an active, healthy lifestyle. Thanks for helping us make that happen, Zulily. http://www.causes.com/causes/582738-support-healthy-kids-challenge

zulily Thank you to our awesome followers for asking such great questions and a special thanks to Healthy Kids Challenge for such in depth and informative responses.

This is the transcript of the healthy eating Facebook chat with Healthy Kids Challenge and zulily from 11-2-11. You may also like to visit the zulily blog: http://blog.zulily.com/2011/11/02/healthy-kids-challenge-and-zulily-discuss-healthy-eating-habits-for-kids/.

Calling All Moms!

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Join us for “A Healthy Me” Facebook hour Weds., Nov. 2nd from 1:30-2:30 pm CST. The topic is healthy eating made simple for mom and fun for kids, by registered dietitian and director of Healthy Kids Challenge, Vickie L. James, RD, LD. Submit your questions on the Zulily Facebook page the day before or just join us on Weds!

Our friends at Zulily will be hosting the chat on their Facebook page - here’s the link: http://on.fb.me/tQxLxl And you can also become a Zulily member for FREE and receive some pretty amazing benefits!

Stay connected for more opportunities with Vickie on our Healthy Kids Challenge Facebook page and our new Cause project Ten for Ten, a program to raise funds to provide FREE nutrition education materials to schools across America! Every $10 will help us reach another 10 kids this school year. Our goal? 1 million dollars and 1 million kids!

Take The Healthy Kids Challenge As You Head Back to School (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

Pumpkin Power for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:12:00 +0000


Image via Wikipedia

We are in the full-swing of fall and pumpkins are everywhere! They are a healthy addition to many recipes, as well as a fun project medium for kids. While having fun and enjoying a tasty treat, your kids would never guess they are helping to meet their daily goal of fruits and veggies.

Pumpkin benefits:

Great source of vitamin A (plays an important role in vision and skin health)
Rich in antioxidants (help give your body a strong defense against disease)
Fat free and cholesterol free (heart healthy)
Good source of vitamin C (aids in healthy immune system)
Fiber (heart healthy and intestinal benefits)

Pumpkin puree. To make your own pumpkin puree, first choose a small, firm pumpkin for cooking which seems heavy for its size. Preheat oven to 325. Cut pumpkin in half, stem to base. Ask your kids to help ‘gut’ the pumpkin by removing all the seeds and pulp. Cover each half with foil and bake for 1 hr. Scrape meat from the halves and puree. Strain to remove stringy pieces.

Pumpkin breakfast muffins. Kids love to get in the kitchen, so let them help make pumpkin muffins for breakfast. Have them help you measure out the ingredients, or let them crack the eggs. They will truly enjoy eating something they helped create, AND it will get their day off to a healthy start!

Pumpkin seeds. Roast some pumpkin seeds for a snack. Kids can help by mixing the seeds and the seasonings together -salt, cinnamon, OR cayenne pepper are just some ideas. Explore your spice rack together and talk about different flavors. Do they like the salty or the sweet the best? What about spicy?

Pumpkin FUN. Help kids use cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the sides of the pumpkin. You can take it one step further with paint, and use the cut-out shapes as stamps. Decorate fun Halloween cards or plain white t-shirts with them!

Whichever way you choose, pumpkin can be a tasty and healthy treat, as well as a fun activity with your kids. Add some Pumpkin Power to your day!

3 Tips for Healthy Meals: School Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:50:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Do your kids eat breakfast before school? Maybe sometimes they grab something on the way out the door. Or maybe they eat breakfast at school. With bus schedules and work commutes and everything in between, sometimes “healthy” gets overlooked and “convenient” wins the race. The fact is, kids’ brains and bodies need breakfast to “break” the overnight “fast.” Whether breakfast comes from home, or at school, kids need to be well-nourished so they can perform well everywhere they live, learn, and play. So here are 3 tips for healthy school-year breakfasts - at school and at home.

GO Power! Eating breakfast helps wake you up and gives energy to keep you going!

Drink a small glass of orange juice at home. Take along whole grain cereal squares in a baggie and a low fat yogurt container with a spoon to eat as you go.

BRAIN Power! Eating breakfast wakes up your brain to make school easier!

Try a whole grain bagel half spread with peanut butter and a banana.

HEALTH Power! Breakfast eaters have better intake of nutrients - to stay well and feel great!

Try low fat string cheese, whole grain crackers and an apple.

For more ideas like these, see Quick & Easy Breakfast Ideas

3 Tips for Healthy Meals: School Lunches (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Break the Code for Breakfast Power: A Sample School Nutrition Services Lesson (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

What Caught My Eye This Week: School Lunch, MyPlate and More

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:13:00 +0000

From time to time I like to share what’s caught my eye in the last week in the news and social media. Hope you find something to help you eat, move, and enjoy healthy balance here!

School Lunch - Making Progress on School Meals by Dr. Janey Thornton: http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/185525-making-progress-on-school-meals

MyPlate - Tear pads, stickers, and more from Learning ZoneXpress here: http://www.learningzonexpress.com/c-482-myplate.aspx

Family Meals - 5 Easy Ways to Enjoy Mealtime Conversations on the Nutrition for the Future blog - http://eatwellatschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/five-easy-ways-to-enjoy-mealtime.html

Walking to School - Walking to school: Steps toward health in The Baltimore Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-walk-to-school-20111004,0,5342949.story

School Employee Wellness - Web site for “School Employee Wellness: A guide for Protecting the Assets of Our Nation’s Schools” - downloadable materials and awards program http://www.schoolempwell.org/?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Healthy+Kids+Challenge+WOWS+10-12-11

School Gardens - Youth Garden Grants Deadline: Nov. 28, 2011. Due to the generosity of The Home Depot Garden Club, 5 winners will receive gift cards valued at $1,000, and 95 winners will receive $500 gift cards, for gardening materials and supplies specific to their child-centered garden program from their local Home Depot store.

3 Tips for Healthy Meals: School Lunches (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
USDA official brings good news to local schools (thegazette.com)
What to Do When There's Not Enough Time for School Lunch (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

5 Tips for Active Play on a Rainy Day

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:46:00 +0000

Active Play can be a part of every day…and it’s just that, play – something that is fun and enjoyable. Rainy days encourage me to be creative and think of ways to get moving while we are stuck inside. It certainly doesn’t take fancy equipment or a gym membership to be active. I thought about ordinary items around my house (and yours) that can get you jumping, running, and moving around! Here are 5 tips for active play on a rainy day:

Scarves – make a game out of tossing it up and trying to catch it. Try twirling around before catching it.

Balloons – blow them up and start batting them around. How high can you toss it? Can you toss it up, do a jumping jack and catch it before it hits the ground? Play a game of toss with a partner. Pretend each balloon is a tasty fruit or veggie in that color and name as you toss!

Paper Plates – use as a Frisbee or scatter a few on the ground and pretend to be a frog leaping from one to the other.

Paper – crunch up a piece of paper into a ball shape and practice shooting hoops into a small bucket or trash can.

Music -put some tunes on and join in with your kids! You will get to spend quality time and have fun with them (hopefully, it will burn their endless amount of energy) as well as get your heart pumping.

Here’s to Active Play every day - even rainy days - in October!

3 Tips for Healthy Meals: School Lunches

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Whether you send lunch from home or your kids eat school meals, you know how important it is that kids’ brains and bodies get healthy meals at school. In the morning rush, sometimes “healthy” gets overlooked when packing lunch at home, and “convenient” wins the race. Or you’re just plain out of ideas!

Consider this: with new healthy guidelines for school meals, and chef-inspired recipes being cooked up, now is the perfect time to have your kids check out the school meal program. Whether lunch comes from home, or at school, kids need to be well-nourished so they can perform well everywhere they live, learn, and play. So here are 3 tips for your kids to try from a school meal OR from home for lunch

1. Veggies - The Tasty Way. Most kids need to eat more veggies, so send low-fat ranch for dipping. Ask the school meal program director if they offer or will offer any kind of dip when they serve veggies.

2. Fantastic Fruits - Every day. Apples, bananas, and oranges are nature’s fast food! The school meal program always provides at least one serving of fruit so why not give it a try? When shopping buy fruit that is in season, and on sale, and include some peanut butter or yogurt for dipping.

3. Drink Think. Encourage kids to drink only water or milk every day at lunch. All schools now offer water in the cafeteria during lunch, as well as low-fat and fat free milk. If you send drinks from home, remember the best thirst quencher is water!

3 Best Activities for Healthy Kids During October

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:39:00 +0000

It’s only the 3rd of October and it’s shaping up to be a very busy month! If you still need some last minute activities for healthy kids this month, we’ve got something here for you:

1. WALK to School. http://www.walktoschool.org/

Join kids and families around the globe to walk and bicycle to school in October! Remember that Wednesday, October 5, 2011 is Walk to School Day!

2. ENJOY Family Meals. http://nutrition.wsu.edu/ebet/brochures.html

Focus on family meals with the Eat Better, Eat Together promotion throughout this month. Washington State University Extension offers free brochures and a toolkit to get you started.

3. EAT Apples! http://www.usapple.org/PDF/NAM/NAM-TastingMenu_V3.pdf

This is meant to be a tasting menu for an “Apple Pairing Party” but don’t you think also work for kids’ snacks? Either way, celebrate Apple month by trying a new way to eat apples!

New Kids’ Contests for Making Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:30:00 +0000

I have some exciting new kids' contests to share with you as we come to the end of "Fruits & Veggies-More Matters” month!

The first one is the Stirring Up Health National Middle School Recipe Contest.
- The goal is to engage the kids you know to create or modify a recipe to make it healthier, using USDA MyPlate guidelines. Two of the categories are Fruits and Vegetables.
- The contest is open September 1, 2011 - March 2, 2012 to all kids currently enrolled in 7th or 8th grade. Prizes include: Chef for a Day for 5 National Winners: A J&W University chef will prepare YOUR recipe with you at a school or youth group event!
- Go to the Kids' Recipe Contest web page for entry rules, sample recipes, and past winners with the chefs who came to their schools!

The second one is the MyPlate Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge.
- Create short videos (approximately 30 seconds) showing how you’re adding fruits and vegetables to your diet without spending a lot of money.
- 3 categories:
  - Tips for kids
  - Tips when eating at home
  - Tips when eating away from home
- The goal of the challenge is to encourage healthy eating habits using MyPlate, which includes making half your plate fruits and vegetables.

The third one is, admittedly, not a contest but a pledge. We think it's so important that you personally take action that I want to challenge you to take this pledge today. It's to join America's More Matters Pledge for fruits and veggies. You could make this one into a contest by challenging kids to see which class or group can have the most taking the pledge!

It has been fun to share all these resources with you this month. Let me know if you want more along this line!

5 Kids Activities for Fruits & Veggies-More Matters Month (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Favorite Kids' Fruit and Vegetable Cooking Activities (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Continue the MyPlate series? Start a new one? (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

Favorite Kids' Fruit and Vegetable Cooking Activities

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:45:00 +0000

There’s a lot to be learned when you get kids cooking! In keeping with the theme of “Fruits & Veggies-More Matters” month, I want to share with you some of my favorite kids’ cooking activities using fruits and vegetables. Whether you teach in a classrooom, lead a group like Girl Scouts or 4-H cooking projects, or just want to show your own kids how fun cooking healthy food can be, here are some great online resources to refer to:

Healthy Cooking with Your Kids - Produce for Better Health Foundation: fruit and vegetable recipes, tips, and more
Chef Solus - Nourish Interactive: cooking game with lesson plan and more
Kids in the Kitchen - Junior League: recipes and video cooking demos of Fruity Kebabs, Trail Mix, and more
LANA Preschool Program - Learning ZoneXpress: tasting and cooking activities like Fruity Bugs and Veggie Bagel Face and more
The Thrill of Skill and other Educator Resources - Home Baking Association: cooking skills activities and checklists, recipes like Pumpkin Pancakes and Apple Dumplings, and more

5 Kids Activities for Fruits & Veggies-More Matters Month (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Best Blogs for Getting Kids to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
3 Kid-Friendly Fruit and Vegetable Recipes (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

Best Blogs for Getting Kids to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:17:00 +0000

Welcome to week 3 of Fruits & Vegetables-More Matters Month! This week I'm highlighting some very useful food blogs. Get your kids eating more fruits and vegetables by using recipes, tips, and ideas from these blogs:

Super Healthy Kids - http://blog.superhealthykids.com/
Meal Makeover Moms Kitchen - http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/
The Truth on Health Blog - http://truthonhealth.org/blog/
Meals Matter - http://www.mealsmatter.org/blog/
Mom's Kitchen Handbook - http://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/
Mommy Dietitian - http://www.mommydietitian.com/
Raise Healthy Eaters - http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/
Supermarket Savvy - http://www.supermarketsavvy.com/blog/

3 Kid-Friendly Fruit and Vegetable Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Welcome to the second week of Fruit and Vegetables-More Matters Month! This week I'm highlighting some of our favorite kid-friendly fruit and vegetable recipes. These top the list because they are healthy, they help kids make half their plate fruits and veggies, and they help teach kids cooking skills they’ll use for life. Wow!

Peanut Butter Banana Spirals

1/2 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 ripe bananas, sliced
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
2 tablespoons honey-crunch wheat germ
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine peanut butter and yogurt, stirring until smooth. Drizzle juice over bananas; toss gently to coat. Spread about 3 tablespoons peanut butter mixture over each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange about 1/3 cup banana slices in a single layer over peanut butter mixture. Combine wheat germ and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over banana slices. Roll up. Slice each roll into 6 pieces.
Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2003 Healthy Kids’ Recipes and Meals

Sometimes all you need is a blender and some fruit - it’s so simple! Try the C-splosion Smoothie, which is chock full of 3 types of berries and orange juice. Or try the Blackberry Smoothie starring almond milk. There’s also a yummy hummus recipe that kids love!

Speaking of love, I love this quote in the downloadable magazine! “Buy your kids a Happy Meal and they’ll eat for a day, but teach them how to cook and they’ll eat forever.” -Jill Melton

C-splosion

1 cup orange juice
1 cup raspberries
1/4 blueberries
1 cup strawberries
2 cups ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender. Whirl. Slurp. Serves 2.
Relish for Kids Relish for Kids Recipes

How about Apple Slice Pancakes? A clever way to add fruit to the meal; or Bean Dip - Kids love to dip chips and veggies; The recipes are fun to make and you can choose the skill level of your little cooks.

Bean Dip

1 16-oz. can refried beans
1 10-oz. can tomatoes and green chiles
Raw veggies and corn chips

In a mixing bowl, combine refried beans and tomato mixture. Serve with veggies or chips.
Kids a Cookin’ Kids a Cookin' Recipes

5 Kids Activities for Fruits & Veggies-More Matters Month

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:43:00 +0000

September is Fruits and Veggies-More Matters Month! Find out how to help kids celebrate with these fun challenges and activities:

Take the Eat Your Colors Challenge -this is from a My Healthy Challenge monthly publication, which includes 5 challenges to eat your colors. Challenge yourself and challenge the kids. For more info, click here: http://www.healthykidschallenge.com/newsletter-signup
Join America’s More Matters Pledge to Fight Childhood Obesity - From the Produce for Better Health Foundation, pledge to improve your own fruit and veggie intake, your family’s, or your school’s. Got to http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=12135
Take the MyPlate Makeover Challenge - Consumers can upload a snapshot of their meal plate, showing how they made half of it fruits & veggies, to the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters Facebook page. Receive a coupon and be entered in a drawing for a free weekly $100 grocery gift card!
Use the Eat a Tasty Rainbow activity pages - for kids 5 and under, and kids 6 and over. These are from the Colorful Plates section of the Healthy Balance Toolkit http://www.cigna.com/health_money/healthyKids/families.html
Try the CDC’s recommended “30 Ways in 30 Days to Stretch Your Fruit & Vegetable Budget”. Involve kids in trying all the ways they can eat healthier AND stay within a budget. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/publications/index.html

Throughout September I’ll be posting anything and everything to do with kids and fruits & veggies - favorite online resources, blogs, recipes, and more. Send me your favorites and I'll include them too!

What to Do When There's Not Enough Time for School Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:48:00 +0000

Many kids complain about not having enough time to eat school lunch. When our organization works tirelessly to help kids “Eat, Move and Enjoy Healthy Balance,” it's hard to read articles like the USA Today article, “Cutting short lunch time in school may lead to obesity.”

While the article brings attention to a very important issue, let's focus less on adding to the list of what “causes” obesity, and more on finding solutions.

I wish I had THE solution to not enough time for school lunch, but the fact is, there isn’t just one. It depends on the school, and just like people, there are many factors that determine how they allot their time. Some solution starters might look like this:

1. Find the win/win situation for the school and the students. Kids who are well-nourished can and do perform better academically. Share research (and there is plenty) showing the link between healthy eating and academics. You simply can’t eat healthily if you’re only given 5-10 minutes to eat lunch.

2. Focus on the small things that can be changed. To start, recognize that scheduling all grades eating in one cafeteria every day is not simple. What if you look at how many students are in the cafeteria is during each lunch period? is it full every time, or just some of the time and not at all at other times? Can certain grade levels be combined? How do other schools fit in 30 min. or more for lunch time?

3. Consider recess before lunch. What? Yes. Before lunch. It’s successful in many schools across the nation, and the benefits are beyond what you’d expect for less plate waste, smoother lunch periods and better focus in the afternoon.

What ideas can you share?

SNA’s State of School Nutrition Report 2011: http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Blog.aspx?id=15955&blogid=564

The Relationship Between the Length of the Lunch Period and Nutrient Consumption in the Elementary School Lunch Setting
http://docs.schoolnutrition.org/newsroom/jcnm/04fall/bergman/bergman2.asp

Break the Code for Breakfast Power: A Sample School Nutrition Services Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Throughout the 6-part series, The Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids, I’ve noted the fact that we’re only providing parts of the comprehensive lessons. Here is a sample lesson for School Nutrition Services staff, which enhances the classroom MyPlate lessons.

Use this activity to build connections with kids to increase school meal participation and support classroom nutrition education!

Break the Code for Breakfast Power (p. 208, School Nutrition Services Section, Grades 3-5, Balance My DayTM)

Background:

In classroom Breakfast GO Power lessons, kids are learning that breakfast helps give them:
- GO Power to feel less tired
- HEALTH Power with more vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients
- BRAIN Power to make learning easier

Materials: Worksheet (p..218), Pencils

Activity

1. Collaborate with the teacher(s) to show kids the GO Power of school breakfast!

2. Show kids school breakfast menus and corresponding nutrient analysis. Point out all the different nutrients indicated by the analysis. If your school does not do an analysis, talk about the menu guidelines your are required to use to ensure nutrient needs are met. Bring several Child Nutrition labels to class to show kids how you ensure prepared foods meet guidelines.

3. Use the Break the Code for Breakfast Power Worksheet to reinforce the message.

School Nutrition Services is the ideal partner to enhance the lessons. In addition to reinforcing curriculum lessons, suggested activities create appeal for School Nutrition Services and healthy eating using:

Bulletin boards
Theme days and other meal participation marketing
Classroom connections (including worksheets)
Role-modeling
Family connections

Take The Healthy Kids Challenge As You Head Back to School

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:11:00 +0000

Welcome back to school! We hope that your summer provided a renewed energy for a wonderful school year! Healthy Kids Challenge wants to serve as your partner in health this year to bring health and wellness ALIVE. Whether your needs are nutrition education curriculum, staff training, wellness council support or resources, look to HKC for solutions!

The new school year is a great time to gather an existing wellness team or build a new team! Team up for wellness with the following Healthy Kids Challenge tips.

Get people on board
1. Begin recruiting those who have expressed or demonstrated an interest in nutrition and physical activity. Start with whatever number of members you can.
2. Brainstorm potential recruits who represent different groups: administrators, classroom teachers, youth leaders, PE teachers, nurses, food service, community members and families .
Develop a team vision:
1. Brainstorm the team's wellness dream and then write a short memorable statement describing the dream.
2. Vision example: A school/youth program that provides a healthy environment with consistent messages that guide learning and opportunities for practicing healthy lifestyle choices; and connects with families and the community to expand the messages and healthy choices everywhere kids go. 
Share the team vision and develop awareness:
1. Identify ways to let others know of the vision through newsletters, Web site and word of mouth
2. Use "talking points" for nutrition and physical activity:
  1. the needs (childhood obesity, poor eating and physical activity habits of kids)
  2. the benefits (improved academic potential, better attendance)
  3. what you intend to accomplish (awareness and appeal for HKC’s Healthy6 messages, increased role-modeling)

You can receive email tips like this in the W.O.W.S. newsletter twice a month. Don’t miss the motivating message to start the year off right from our Healthy Kids Challenge Director, Vickie L. James, RD, LD, on Weds., August 17, 2011.

Continue the MyPlate series? Start a new one?

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Healthy6 messages = MyPlate messages

Let me hear from you...Feedback has been positive for the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids blog series. Now I want to know if you want more of the same. I’ll make it easy for you. Simply choose one of the options below and enter the letter A, B, or C as your comment.

A. Yes, these lessons and activities have been helpful and I want more like them.

B. No, these lessons and activities have not been helpful. I need something different.

C. My suggestion for a series is: ________________ (sorry but you’ll have to type more than the letter C for this one!)

Thanks for sending in your comments. Next week's blog will be on a different topic while I wait to see the results, and then the series will continue or change on August 18th.

If you want to easily find the specific topic you need in the current series, here is the list:

Smart Servings: Part 1 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

Fruits and Veggies: Part 2 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

Breakfast: Part 3 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

Drink Think: Part 4 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

Snack Attack: Part 5 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

Active Play: Part 6 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids Series

Active Play: Part 6 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Active Play Every Day is one of the HKC Healthy6 messages, and matches up with MyPlate key messages teaching kids to "Be Active Your Way". Teach Active Play to kids using this lesson titled Active Play in Every Day. Utilize MyPlate and activities kids enjoy to help kids hear, see, and practice the lesson.

Active Play in Every Day (Lesson 7: Grades 3-5, Balance My DayTM)

Outcomes: HECAT Standards 1.11, 1.15

Sample Discussion Point: For most kids, eating a healthy plate and less of high fat and added sugar foods, plus 60 minutes of Active Play every day gives healthy balance. If you eat too much fat and sugar, it is hard or impossible to get enough Active Play to balance the “energy in”.

Sample Discussion Question: If you have more “energy in” (food or drink), than the “energy out”, what can happen?

Activity

1. Divide kids into teams of 4. Explain that too much TV and screen time (like computers and video games) keep kids and adults from getting enough Active Play.

2. Ask teams to come up with 4 kinds of Active Play with these “rules”:

The activities are something everyone on the team likes. Finding things you like to do together is a way you and your friends can encourage each other to be active.
They are activities most people can do at any time and they do not cost or require traveling far to participate.

3. As a whole group, ask teams to share and discuss their activity ideas. If time allows, perform some of the Active Play ideas.

4. Distribute the Lesson 7 Worksheet. Guide kids to individually complete the worksheet.

Move and Learn

Perform “My Body” - An activity of song and motion!

1. Practice singing the following lyrics to the tune of My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean:

-My body lies over the sofa.
-My body watches too much TV.
-My body lies over the armchair, oh bring back my body to me.
-Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my body to me, to me.
-Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my body to me.

2. Once the class is familiar with the lyrics, explain they should sit or stand each time they sing a word beginning with “b”.

3. Start in a standing position. (At the end, everyone should be standing.)

4. Explain too much TV and screen time means less Active Play and less “energy in” balance.

5. Choose at least 60 minutes of Active Play every day.

Summary

Healthy weight happens when “energy in” (food and drinks) = “energy out” (Active Play”). Too much high fat and added sugar food can overload “energy in”, making it hard to get enough Active Play for good balance.

These are just sample parts of Lesson 7 - the sample lesson activity and the Move and Learn activity are from p. 111 in grades 3-5 Balance My Day Nutrition Education Curriculum. The worksheet, , discussion points and questions, and answer key are available for your review, along with school nutrition services and Taste and Learn activities supporting this lesson. Learn more on the Balance My Day Nutrition Education Curriculum page, or contact us with questions.

Snack Attack: Part 5 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Fruits & Vegetables: Part 2 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Nutrition Education That Works Everywhere Kids Live, Learn, and Play (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

Snack Attack: Part 5 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:40:00 +0000

Snack Attack is one of the HKC Healthy6 messages, and matches up with MyPlate key messages teaching kids to compare sodium, sugar and fat in foods and choose foods with lower numbers. Teach Snack Attack to kids using this lesson titled A Balanced Day. Utilize MyPlate and trail mix to help kids hear, see, and practice the lesson.

A Balanced Day (Lesson 10: Grades 3-5, Balance My DayTM)

Outcomes: HECAT Standards 5.3, 6.1, 6.3, 7.12

Materials: Trail mix ingredients and supplies, 5 sets of juggling scarves in MyPlate food group colors or labeled paper plates

Activity

*You have the option of using trail mix ingredient packaging for label reading, with or without creating an actual trail mix for tasting. If tasting is incorporated, check for food allergies in advance.

For each ingredient, ask kids to guess the food group.
1. Ask which food groups are missing. (Unless pumpkin seeds or dried tomatoes are used, the answers will be Milk and Vegetable).
2. Ask them to identify which ingredient doesn’t belong in any food group and why. (M&M’s® have “energy in” and no healthy nutrients.)
3. Ask kids to guess the correct serving sizes for ingredients. Measure the correct serving and an incorrect serving for each of the foods below. Place each food in a clear plastic cup and label appropriately and ask participants to guess the correct serving. --OR-- Have the participant scoop out what theey think is the correct serving from a “bowl of food” and then use a measuring cup to see how close they really are.
Using Nutrition Facts labels from trail mix ingredients, ask kids to:
1. Rank order the foods from most to least amount of fat per serving, with the highest fat food on the far right.
2. Now rank order the foods from the most to the least amount of sugar per serving, with the food with the most sugar on the far right.
3. Repeat for the amounts of sodium from most to least.
4. Option: Use sugar cubes or teaspoons of fat (margarine pats) to demonstrate the actual amount of sugar or fat in each serving. 1 sugar cube = 4 grams sugar; 1 tsp. fat = 4 grams fat.
5. Ask kids, in building a trail mix with MyPlate portions, to identify which foods are in greatest amount, and those in the smallest amount. Have kids make a trail mix snack with the foods on the table, keeping balance according to MyPlate (proper portions).

Note: Remember handwashing and food safety.

Supplies for Snack Attack Trail Mix	For 25 servings	Scoop size
Cheerios® (9 cups per 9 oz.)	1 - 9 oz. box	1/4 cup
Wheat Chex® (6.75 cups per 14 oz.)	1 - 14 oz. box	1/4 cup
Pretzels, mini (10.5 cups per 15 oz.)	1 - 15 oz. box	1/4 cup
Craisins® or raisins (3.75 cups per 24 oz.)	1 - 12 oz. box	1 Tbsp.
Dry roasted peanuts or soy nuts (3 cups per 16 oz.)	1 - 16 oz. jar	1 Tbsp.
M&M’s® (approx. 21 servings per 12.6 oz.)	1 - 12 oz. bag	1 Tbsp.
Disposable cups or baggies to hold approx. 1 1/4 cup	25

Option: Add sundried tomato bits or pumpkin seeds to represent veggie food group (2 cups per 25 servings). Use a Tbsp. for a serving size

Note: Students with peanut allergies will not be able to have either peanuts or M&M’s® . Consider soy nuts and only approved candies.

Move and Learn

Group kids in 5 straight lines of equal numbers. Have each group form the spokes of a circle, at least 1 1/2 arm lengths apart.
To the first person in each line, give 5 scarves (or paper plates) of the same MyPlate color group. (There will be orange, green, red, blue, and purple lines.) Ask each team to identify one healthy snack food from their color group.
Ask the first student in line to begin passing the scarves, alternating turning from right to left, to the student behind them. The last student in line will collect all the scarves and begin the same activity, in reverse order, from back to front.
When all the scarves reach the front of the line, let kids know they will begin building their MyPlate. They are to pass one of their scarves to the first person in the line to their right. Now each group will have 1 scarf of another color.
Repeat the up and down the line activity described in #3.
As described in #4, when all the scarves reach the front of the line, pass one scarf from their original color group to the next line. After 5 times, all 5 groups will have a set of all 5 major MyPlate color groups.

Summary

For plenty of energy, a healthy heart and body, and to feel and look the best you can, make healthy eating choices and balance them with Active Play every day.

These are just sample parts of Lesson 10 - the sample lesson activity and the Move and Learn activity are from p. 173 in grades 3-5 Balance My Day Nutrition Education Curriculum. The worksheet, teacher resource, student assessment, discussion points and questions, and answer key are available for your review, along with school nutrition services and Taste and Learn activities supporting this lesson. Learn more on the Balance My Day Nutrition Education Curriculum page, or contact us with questions.

The Healthy Kids Challenge Healthy6 Ways to Teach MyPlate to Kids Series (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Drink Think: Part 4 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)
Breakfast: Part 3 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids (healthykidschallenge.wordpress.com)

Drink Think: Part 4 of the Healthy Kids Challenge Way to Teach MyPlate to Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Healthy Kids Challenge) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:22:00 +0000

Drink Think is one of the HKC Healthy6 messages, and matches up with MyPlate key messages teaching kids to drink milk and water instead of sugary drinks. Teach Drink Think to kids using this lesson titled Think Breakfast Drinks. Utilize MyPlate and a milk experiment to help kids hear, see, and practice the lesson.

Think Breakfast Drinks (Lesson 5: Grades 3-5, Balance My DayTM)

Outcomes: HECAT Standards 1.8, 1.11, 3.4, 7.5

Materials: Dairy group food cards, Milk, 3 shallow bowls, dish soap, food coloring, cotton swabs

Sample Discussion Point
MyPlate recommends kids ages 9-13 choose 3 cups of low fat or fat free milk (or calcium equivalents) each day.

Sample Discussion Question
Do the drinks you choose for breakfast have added sugar and are they high in fat?

Activity

1. Perform the Milk Fat Experiment. (Use Teacher’s Resource, p. 70 in Balance My Day. The source for this experiment is the American Chemical Society, Science for Kids, and can be downloaded at http://portal.acs.org/portal/fileFetch/C/WPCP_012696/pdf/WPCP_012696.pdf.

2. Talk about how food labels are a good source of nutrition information. Many popular drinks are high in fat and added sugar.

3. Using the Lesson 5 Worksheet-1, have kids
a. look at the milk Nutrition Facts labels and locate the fat content.
b. determine if the amount of fat listed confirms what they saw in the experiment.

4. Now look at the chocolate milk label and locate the fat. Point out some chocolate milk is low in fat, but this is not. Compare the amount of sugar in the chocolate milk with that in the whole milk. Compare the list of ingredients. (Sugar and corn syrup are added sugars.)

5. Look at the Nutrition Facts label serving sizes. How much milk does MyPlate recommend each day? How do these serving sizes compare?

Move and Learn

Explain to feel our best, it takes a partnership of healthy eating choices (energy in) and Active Play(energy out).

Partners for healthy balance: choosing less of foods and beverages high in fat and added sugar and Active Play.
Partners for strong bones: Calcium we get from milk (and other foods) and Active Play. When we include weight-bearing activities, there is better calcium absorption.
“Partner-up” 3 servings of milk and weight-bearing activities for stronger bones.
Practice these weight-bearing movements while discussing the partnerships:

* Walk in place
* Hop forward and then back
* Dance
* Play hopscotch
* Jump rope

Drink Think milk!

Summary

Drink Think at breakfast. Drinking three cups of milk a day is a healthy choice. Milk is rich in calcium and Vitamin D. For a healthy heart and healthy balance, choose foods low in fat and added sugar.

These are just sample parts of Lesson 5 - the sample lesson activity and the Move and Learn activity are from p. 47 in Grades 3-5 Balance My DayTM Nutrition Education Curriculum. The worksheet, student assessment, discussion points and questions, and answer key are available for your review, along with school nutrition services and Taste and Learn activities supporting this lesson. Learn more on the Balance My Day Nutrition Education Curriculum page, or contact us with questions.

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