September Family Tips
- Leave your child a fun healthy note in their lunch box.
- 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. Keep it fun and positive.
- Teach kids not to swap foods. 1 out of 17 kids have food allergies.
- Follow the 5-5 rule. Look for cereals with 5 grams or less of sugar!
- Try melon slices for breakfast for a change.
- Wash insulated lunch totes or boxes with hot soapy water after each use.
- Make sure your child's walk to a school is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing
guards at every intersection.
- Some kids don’t like peanut butter but will enjoy cashew or almond butter as a spread.
(Meatless)
- Playing catch is good fun activity and teaches eye to hand coordination.
- Make sure your child eats breakfast. Breakfast provides children with the energy
they need to listen and learn in school.
- Your child’s lunch could include perishable items (sandwiches, fresh fruit) and shelf-stable
items (packaged pudding). Use an insulated lunch box, with an insulated bottle for hot foods or a frozen gel pack or a frozen juice box to keep foods cold.
- Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one
shoulder can strain muscles.
- Sliced mango, kiwi, or apples are a good snack (use orange juice to help prevent browning) (Meatless)
- Most schools regularly send schedules of cafeteria menus home.
- Take an outing to a local farmers market to teach kids about where their food comes from. See what fruits and vegetables are in season.
- Gear up the bikes and map out a nice trail ride that emphasizes the beautiful outdoors.
- When packing egg or meat sandwiches for school lunches, include an ice pack to ensure these items stay cold.
- Teach children to pack their backpack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments.
- The backpack should never weigh more then 10 to 20 percent of the
your child’s body weight.
- Pack heavier items in your child's backpack closest to the center of the back.
- Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded
back.
- Actually, turn off the TV at mealtime so you can talk and share the events of the day.
- Teach children to sit and not move around on the school bus.
- Next time you make a sandwich for your child's lunch, switch from regular mayonnaise to low fat or fat-free.
- There are flavored water or club soda with zero calories that are better options than high sugared flavored drinks.
- Limit the amount of processed ready to-eat-snacks you buy (such as potato chips or cookies).
- Plan for extra time and walk with your child to school today.
- Use leftovers for school lunch. If your child ate the beef stew last night for dinner, serve
it up for lunch (place an ice pack in the lunch box though to prevent food illness).
- Get laced up with sneakers and play classic favorites such soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, football, volleyball or even Frisbee.
- Get the kids connected with nature. Walk in the park, plant a tree, start your own garden.
email
print
share
tweet
1 Comment
Flag This Item