a-b-c-1-2-3 healthy kids in tennessee: let’s eat well every day !”

A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well Every Day!”

Healthy Eating/Nutrition

Revised 1/2012

In partnership with the Gold Sneakers Program of the Tennessee Department of Health

Objectives To understand the importance of healthy

eating and nutrition in a child’s overall health and well-being

To be able to implement learning activities with preschool children that emphasize healthy eating and good nutrition

To be able to share information learned with parents/caregivers through educational offerings, materials, and various means of communication (i.e., newsletters, websites, e-mails, letters).

Start with the Basics

United States Department of Agriculture Choose My Plate for Preschoolers

Produce for Better Health Foundation’s Fruits and Veggies – More Matters

First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” Childcare Checklist

United States Department of Health and Human Services, Go, Slow, Whoa

.

Start with the Basics

Together, each of these resources provides guidance on healthy eating/nutrition for preschoolers and form the basis for the A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day program.

Choose My Plate

Choose MyPlate for KidsChoose MyPlate for Preschoolerswww.choosemyplate.gov

Announced June 11, 2011, as a replacement for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid and incorporates changes in categories of foods with more “visuals” to provide guidance on portion sizes.

Encourages everyone to “fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal or eating occasion.”

Customizable program for various ages.

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters

The Five-a-Day campaign was initially implemented in 1991 with emphasis on eating at least five fruits and vegetables per day.

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters in 2007 replaces Five-a-Day, with a similar message.

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters continues and carries the same message as Choose My Plate—choosing to make fruits and vegetables half of one’s meal intake.

The campaign supports the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guide-lines for Americans and the new Choose My Plate.

Visit www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org for

downloadable resources.

Fill half of the plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, or tomatoes.

Fill the other half of the plate with grains such as pasta or a starch vegetable such as corn, peas, or potatoes AND chicken, fish, lean meat or any other protein source (see www.choosemyplate.gov for visual on portion sizes for each).

Don’t forget dairy!

“Let’s Move” Childcare Checklist

Recommendations for Food Served to Toddlers and Preschoolers at Childcare (Ages 1–5)

This is an initiative of First Lady, Michelle Obama, released June 2011.

The checklist also covers Beverages Served, Infant Feeding, Physical Activity, and Screen Time.

Checklist is based on the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Childcare (NAP SACC) program.

Remember, guidance on portion sizes is available at www.choosemyplate.gov.


Recommendations are categorized as follows:

Fruit and Vegetables Provisions

Meats and Fats Provisions

Feeding Environment

Provider Behaviors

Education

Policy“Let’s Move Childcare Checklist”, www.letsmove.gov, 2011.


Fruit and Vegetables Provisions

Offer a fruit or vegetable at every meal.

Fresh, frozen, or fruit canned in juice (not syrup) is offered most of the time.

A variety of vegetables are offered one or more times per day including dark green, orange, red, and deep yellow.

Cooked vegetables are rarely offeredwith added meat fat, margarine, or butter.

“Let’s Move Childcare Checklist”, www.letsmove.gov, 2011.


Meats and Fats ProvisionsFried or pre-fried potatoes (French fries, tater tots, hash browns) are never offered.Fried or pre-fried (frozen and breaded) meats (chicken nuggets) or fish (fish sticks) are never offered.Beans or lean meats (baked or broiled chicken, turkey, or fish) are offered one or more times per day.


Recommendations for Food Served to Toddlers and Preschoolers at Childcare (Ages 1–

5)

Feeding environment provisions

Preschool meals are served family style (children are encouraged to serve themselves with limited help) all of the time.

There is a large variety of exposures and prompts with new opportunities introduced regularly to eat healthy foods (i.e., books, posters, fruit bowls, gardens).



Provider BehaviorsProviders join children at the table for meals and talk informally about tryingand enjoying healthy food all the time.

In front of the children, providers consume the same food and drinks as children and avoid unhealthy foods (e.g., soda and fast food) all the time.

Providers teach children about healthy foods and the pleasure of eating using both formal (e.g., circle time lessons) and informal (e.g., mealtime conversations) opportunities all the time.



Education

Training opportunities about nutrition (other than food safety and food program guidelines) are offered to providers two or more times per year.

Parents are offered nutrition education (workshops, activities, and/or take home materials) two or more times per year.


Recommendations for Food Served to Toddlers and Preschoolers at Childcare (Ages

1–5)

Policy

There is a written policy on nutrition and food service that includes foods offered, the food environment, provider behaviors, and education that is followed and always shared with parents.


Recommendations for Beverages Served to Toddlers and Preschoolers at Childcare (Ages 1–

5)

Recommendations are categorized as follows:

Water

Fruit Juice

Milk

Provider Behaviors

Education

Policy



5)

Water:

Drinking water is available inside and outside, where it is visible and freely available for self-serve.

During indoor and outdoor play, providers prompt children to drink water all the time.

Water is offered to children over the age of one year, but not as a substitute for milk when it is a required food component one time per day or more. “Let’s Move Childcare Checklist”, www.letsmove.gov, 2011.

Fruit Juice:

100% fruit juice is offered, no more than 4–6 oz. per day, and parents are encouraged to support this limit.

Sugary drinks (Kool-Aid, fruit drinks, sports drinks, sweet tea, and soda) are never offered.


Recommendations for Beverages Served to Toddlers and Preschoolers at Childcare (Ages

1–5)

Milk:

Milk served to children ages two years and older is always 1% or skim/nonfat.*

Flavored milk is never served to children.

*Milk served to children 1-2 years should be whole milk, (Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, fourth edition, AAP, 1998).


5)

Provider Behaviors:

Beverages offered to toddlers over one year are rarely or never offered in a bottle.


5)

Education:

Training opportunities on juice and other beverage recommendations are offered to providers two or more times per year.

Parents are offered education on juice and other beverage recommendations (e.g., special programs, newsletters, information sheets) two or more times per year.


5)

Policy:

Child care facility has a written policy on beverages that includes staff behaviors, education, and beverage use and is available, followed, and shared with parents and staff.



5)

United States Department of Health and Human Services “Go, Slow, and Whoa!”

o Activities in the A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day use the Go, Slow, and Whoa concept.

o GO foods are low in fats and sugar, while high in carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and other nutrients (e.g., fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, 1% milk, skinless chicken).

SLOW foods have some health benefits, but are not as healthy as those in the GO group (e.g., white bread, 2% milk, lean ground beef, fruits in light syrup, vegetables with added sauces).

WHOA foods are the least healthy foods and should be eaten once in a while (e.g., French fries, fruits in heavy syrup, bacon, full-fat cheese, donuts).

United States Department of Health and Human Services “Go, Slow, and Whoa!”

Putting Knowledge Into Action

“So, now that you have the basics of good nutrition and healthy eating, how can this be incorporated in the classroom?”

How to Get Started in Your Classroom and/or Daycare/Preschool Facility

Use the A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day curriculum to select activities to implement in the classroom at least twice a week for 10–15 minutes per session.

Encourage children to continue with “at-home” activities provided in the kit.

Participate and encourage children and families to participate in the A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day, center-wide Everyone, Every Day challenge activities and support the activities being done in your facility.

Share handouts and other materials with parents weekly using the calendar provided.

Consider seeking out assistance from local resources and using the optional evaluation components in the A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee kit to evaluate your activities so that you can gauge progress of your efforts.

Remember to use available resources:

Choose My Plate for Preschoolers

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters

Let’s Move – including the Childcare Checklist

Go, Slow, Whoa

How to Get Started in Your Classroom and/or Daycare/Preschool Facility

A-B-C-1-2-3 HEALTHY KIDS IN TENNESSEE: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day

Materials include:

Curriculum package which includes a menu of classroom activities that can be integrated into ongoing lesson plans and programming

A 12-week calendar of nutrition and healthy eating suggested programming in lieu of using the menu of choices

Instructions for nutrition intake assessment (optional activity) as an evaluation measure

Worksheets and take-home materials for children and their parents/caregivers

Organized A-B-C-1-2-3 Everyone, Every Day Center-Wide Challenges activities for families

Information ready to publish in newsletters, websites,and other communications

How to Get Started with the A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day Program in Your Classroom and/or Childcare/Preschool Facility

All staff should participate in “A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee” training—an in-person training session or online at www.abc123healthykids.com—and develop a plan for integrating the curriculum activities into your ongoing classroom lesson plans and programming.

Submit evaluation documents as proof of training to receive a certificate of completion from the A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee project director. This program has been recognized for training credits by the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

Make a commitment to using the curriculum in your facility and/or classrooms and to sharing materials with parents/caregivers weekly. Remember to ask questions and solicit feedback from children and their parents/caregivers.

Interesting Fact

Research indicates that children may need to be exposed to a food 10–15 times before they will try it.

Never give up AND encourage parents and caregivers to never give up on their child becoming a healthier eater!

(Fruits and Veggies More Matters – www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.gov, Sneaking Fruits and Veggies Into Your Child’s Food, Retrieved August 14, 2011).

Want to take A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day to the next level?

Now that you have the tools to implement healthy living education in your classrooms and with parents and families, what’s next?

Consider participating in the Gold Sneakers program, which helps you develop policy guidelines for your facility. Both programs complement each other extremely well, providing your facility with a well-rounded approach to good health!

Want to Take it to the Next Level?

To learn more about Gold Sneakers contact

Tennessee Department of Health,Gold Sneaker Initiative

615-532-7538

Want to Take it to the Next Level? (continued)

For more information or questions, please contact

Cynthia Chafin, M.Ed., MCHESMTSU Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services/

Center for Health and Human ServicesTennessee Cancer Coalition coordinator

[email protected] or [email protected]

www.abc123healthykids.com

The A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee: Let’s Eat Well, Play, and Be Aware Every Day project is supported in part by funding from the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth and the Tennessee Cancer Coalition, with support of the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services.

a-b-c-1-2-3 healthy kids in tennessee: let’s eat well every day !”

Documents

childcare ages

day program

healthy eatingnutrition

healthy kids

importance of healthy

day campaign

childcare nap sacc program

vegetables provisionsmeats