Lesson 1 Welcome to Eating Smart and Moving More with Professor Popcorn! Over the next few weeks, I will be providing food and nutrition education to your child. Each week I will send you a newsletter like this with tips for encouraging children to make healthy choices. The newsletters will include information on family meals, quick and easy meals, and ideas for encouraging healthy habits. For more information about MyPyramid, check out www.mypyramid.gov. Parents have an important role in helping their children make healthy food choices. Parents are responsible for: Selecting and buying food. Preparing and serving healthy meals. Deciding when to serve meals and snacks. Deciding where foods are eaten. Being a good role model. Children have a role in eating, too. Children are responsible for: Deciding which foods to eat. Deciding how much to eat.
Lesson 2 This week Professor Popcorn explored the MyPyramid Grains Group with your child. Ask him (or her) what he learned about foods in this group. Family meals are a great time to talk with your children and catch up on what they did during the day. Whether a family meal is one adult and one child sitting together in the kitchen or many people sitting around the dining room table, family meals can be a comforting way for parents and children to socialize. Children who take part in regular family meals are less likely to smoke or use drugs or alcohol. They are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. With today s busy schedules, it might be difficult for families to eat together. Do the best you can! If too many things compete for time during the evening meal, try to eat another meal, such as breakfast, together. Encourage family members to hold specific days of the week for family meals. Every meal (or snack) eaten with your children provides an opportunity to stay connected to them.
Lesson 3 This week Professor Popcorn explored the MyPyramid Vegetables Group and/or Fruits Group with your child. Ask him (or her) what he learned about foods in these groups. Encouraging kids to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits can be a challenge. Here are some tips for encouraging kids to eat vegetables, fruits, and other healthful foods. Encourage, but don t force, children to taste the food. Don t get upset if she doesn t eat it. Serve a food more than once or twice before determining a child doesn t like it. Sometimes a child needs to try a food up to 20 times before he likes it. Be a good role model. Enjoy eating vegetables and fruits with your children. Offer vegetables and fruits when a child is hungry. Include vegetables and fruits at every meal. Serve vegetables and fruits for snacks. Encourage children to help you pick out vegetables and fruits at the grocery store, and help you prepare these foods.
Lesson 4 This week Professor Popcorn explored more of MyPyramid with your child. Ask him (or her) what he learned about the food groups. Use shortcuts. For example, use: Canned vegetables or fruits in place of fresh to cut cooking and preparation time. Cream soups to make a quick sauce for casseroles. Bags of salad greens and precut vegetables for salads. Keep quick and easy favorites such as canned spaghetti sauce, pasta, canned tuna, frozen vegetables, canned fruit, and eggs in your kitchen for last-minute meals. Plan for leftovers. You can get two (or more) meals in the time it takes to make one! Be sure to freeze or refrigerate leftovers properly. Prepare some or all of a meal ahead of time. For example, cook beans or shred cheese for enchiladas the night before. Then refrigerate until ready to use. On the weekend or other day when you have the time, make several meals that can be frozen in meal-sized portions and reheated for quick meals on busy days. Make a meal from ready-to-eat items from the grocery store such as roast chicken, ready-to-serve salad, instant potatoes, and canned fruit salad. Get family members to help with meal preparation activities such as scrubbing potatoes, making a salad, and setting the table.
Lesson 5 Professor Popcorn enjoyed exploring all the MyPyramid food groups with your child. Thank you for taking the time to ask your child about his explorations with Professor Popcorn. The children also enjoyed being active during each lesson. Physical activity is important for everyone. Experts recommend that children get 60 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Being active as a family can be fun. Here are some tips for being active with your children. Turn off the television and go for a walk or play a game. Play Frisbee or kick a ball around the yard. Take the dog for a walk together. Rake leaves and jump in the leaf piles or shovel snow and make a snowman. Walk children to school or the bus stop. Walk or ride bicycles to run errands when possible. Visit a local zoo or park. When daylight is limited or weather interferes, plan walks inside shopping malls or schools.