resource guide final english

8/14/2019 Resource Guide Final English

1/20

Food forThoughta parents resource guide


2/20

Your feedback is very important to us. Please send us your ideas and suggestions for our next

edition ofFood for Thought. Email your feedback to [email protected]

Designed by Vivian Hua

Food for Thought: A Parents Resource Guide is about helping you make smart food choices for your children.

Remember, healthy kids become healthy adults!

This Resource Guide is designed to raise awareness and provide information about your food choices, par-

ticularly on how the media inuences your familys food preferences. The Resource Guide is packed full of

information and ideas to help you make healthy decisions at the grocery store, as well as at home. Look for

these useful resources throughout Food for Thought:

Fast facts about the media and food Healthy and delicious recipes

Tips for understanding and reading food labels

Basic nutrition information and ideas for healthy eating

TV Food Diary

A fun nutrition activity for kids

about this guide

Supported bythe Steps to a

HealthierUS Co-

operative Agree-

ment of the U.S.

Department of

Health and

Human Services.

Produced by Action for MediaEducation (AME)

www.action4mediaeducation.org

Childrenspend about 6.5

hours a day with me-

dia (TV, Internet, radio,

magazines, books,

computer games,

music, etc.)

The average

child views about

10,000 food commer-

cials a year, just on TV!

Saturday morning com-mercials show a food

commercial every

ve minutes.

1

did

know?you

EDUCATION

Watch forideas on how

to become a

Food Detective

when you see

this symbol!


3/20

Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store everything you really need is located on theoutside aisles (fruit, vegetables, dairy, etc).

Many food companies use popular cartoon characters on the packages of junk food in orderto sell products dont be fooled.

Many kids usually just want the toy that comes in the package or with the meal. Instead ofgiving in, give them $1 to buy a small toy at your local store.

Tell your child that he/she can have one product of their choice (for example, a sugaredcereal); however, it should last for a given period of time (e.g. two weeks).

Make a shopping list with your child before you go to the store and stick to it! Have yourchildren help you nd the items on the list.

Give your children the job of picking out one special fruit or vegetable at the grocery store foryour family to try!

mommy

pleeeeease!Saying NO to your children when they request certainfoods can be challenging. Knowing the facts and a few

tricks ahead of time can eliminate some of the frustration.

Keep these ideas in mind!

dont forget!During a typical trip to the grocery store, a child will make about 15 requests.

In addition, they will make about 5 requests a day at home, and 10 requests

a day while on vacation in all, about 3,000 requests a year! 2


4/20

Bright colors

Cute and loveable characters (including cartoons)

Fun toys (included in product packaging)

Lively music

Humor

Celebrities & beautiful people

Slogans and health/nutrition claims

media + FOODmedia+food

KNOW THE TRICKS

Ads are everywhere! Advertisers use many tricks to get us to buy their

products! Knowing the tricks (and teaching them to your kids) is a great

way to be one step ahead of the advertisers and not get fooled!

Look for these tricks the next time you are watching TV!

Dont eat mealsin front of the TV:

especially dinner!

Get the TV outof your childs

bedroom!

DID YOU KNOW?

3

Up until about age ve, children have a hard time telling the difference

between fantasy and reality, which is why advertisers rely on advertising

tricks, such as cute characters, to get kids to request their products.

About 74% of the ads during childrens programming are for foods high in sugar, fat, and salt. Only

2% of ads are for fruit and vegetables.

Kids who watch four or more hours of TV a day are most likely to be overweight. Kids who watch

the least TV are less likely to be overweight.


5/20

Knowing the tricks advertisers use on product packaging will prepare you for how to say NO

when your children start begging for products (remember the mommy pleeeeease factor?).

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!

What about this box appeals to kids?

What about this box appeals to parents?

What tricks are used on both the front and on the

back of the box? What words are specically used to make you

think this product is healthy and nutritious?

Do you notice the pictures of fruit? What does

this lead you to believe?

How healthy do you think this product really is?

How can you nd out?

More than $33billion everyyear is spent

advertisingfood productsthat are mostly

loaded withsugar, fat, and

salt!

Turn to page 9 to nd out!

Candy & cerealare the two most

requested items atthe grocery store,and also the twomost advertisedproducts on TV!!

READING PRODUCT PACKAGING

4

What do

you notice

about the front

and back of this

cereal box?

FRONT B

ACK


6/20

TERRIFIC & TASTY TIPS

R E C I P E S

Put slices of vegetables (carrots, celery, etc.) in small plastic bags. For every

day that your children eat all of the vegetables, put a sticker on the bag.

Use the same idea above to encourage your children to drink more water.

Place stickers on their favorite water bottle.

We know that getting kids to eat healthy can sometimes bechallenging! Use these tips for some ideas.

Raspberry & BlueberryTango Smoothie

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Makes about two servings.

8 oz. carton of non-fat raspberry yogurt

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup fresh or frozen berries of your choice (we

like mixing raspberries and blueberries!)

Experiment with different berries and avorsof yogurt. Vegetarians can replace yogurt with

tofu.

Salad Shakers

Have you ever prepared and eaten a salad out of a

plastic bag? If not, heres your chance!

Place lettuce and other veggies of your choice (carrots,

tomatoes, onions) and a small amount of low-fat salad

dressing into a zip-lock plastic bag (sandwich size or

bigger) and give it a few shakes. Have your kids help

in the preparation and shaking! Eat salad right out of

the bag.

Optional items to include: apple slices, red or greenpeppers, cheese, croutons, almonds, kidney beans,

raisins, or dried cranberries

5

Make a fruit sundae bar or banana split with chopped fresh fruit, low-fatyogurt, and granola.

Add vegetables to your childs favorite foods (e.g. add broccoli to macaroni and cheese).

Cut sandwiches in shapes. A cookie cutter makes a healthful sandwich special.

If you buy canned fruit, be sure to buy it unsweetened.


7/20

TV FOOD DiaryUse the TV Food Diary to keep track of the food products advertised while you and your children watch television

together. Youll probably notice that most of the ads during childrens programming are for products high in sugar,

fat, and salt. Use this as an opportunity to discuss with your kids the types of food products advertised, as wellas the tricks used to capture their attention. At the end of one week, add up the total number of hours of TV your

children watched. Think about ways to reduce your childrens screentime.

TV Show Start/End Time Product Advertised Media Tricks Used

Where in the grocery store are most of these products located?

6


8/20

what

sa

A calorie is the amount of energy that food provides. One of the bestways to ensure our childs health is to make sure that the calories he/she

consumes come from wholesome and nutritious foods!

CALORIE

?

Calories: 140

Calcium: 0

Protein: 1g

Potassium: 0Iron: 0

Vitamin C: 0

VS

Dont Forget:Not all calories are

created equal!

Notice how these two foods have the same number of calories butare very different in terms of their nutritional value?

For tips on reducing calories, seeFood Make-overs on Page 17!

Everything we eat contains calories but dont forget that not all calories are createdequal! Have you ever heard of the term empty calories?

The quality of food your child eats is very important! Sugary sweets such as cookies,candy, and soda pop offer little in terms of nutrition just plain old empty calories.

Which one do you think is the better choice?

Which one could be considered empty calories?

PACKAGE OF LICORICE

Calories: 140

Calcium: 25%

Protein: 8g

Potassium: 90mgIron: 2%

Vitamin C: 3%

8-OUNCE LOW-FAT FRUIT YOGURT

7


9/20

SIMPLEWAYS

TO

INCREASEACTIVITY

LEVELS

Having children engage in a few

simple lifestyle changes or fun

activities like these are an easy

way to burn calories without evenknowing it!

Take the stairs as often as possible.

Park in spaces away from the frontentrance of grocery stores, shoppingcenters, and other areas. Obviously,

this one requires your help!

Do jumping jacks or jump rope duringcommercials.

Start dancing to your favorite tunes onthe radio or CD while at home.

Take walks after dinner instead ofturning on the TV.

8

If your child drinks one20-ounce bottle of pop aday, he/she will consumeabout 1/4 of his/her dailycalories just from soda!

DID YOU KNOW?

Make sure your children eat a

nutritious breakfast daily. Forideas, see page 15.

Make sure that yourkids drink plenty ofwater!

HEALTHFULHINT


10/20

understanding food labels

Just because this Swirled Berries boxsays 1/3 less sugar does not meanthe product is automatically healthy!

SERVING SIZE

Tells you what the serving size is for one person,

usually how much you should eat at one time.

CALORIES

Refers to how many calories are provided in oneserving (See page 7 for what a calorie is!).

9

Dont be fooled! Advertisers like to make

you think that the product is healthy be

sure to read those food labels to nd out!

SERVINGS PER CONTAINER

Tells you how many servings are contained

in the package. If the package contains two

servings, you will have to double everything if

you eat the whole package.


11/20

words to

out for:Food manufacturers often

disguise the true nature

of their ingredients by using

unfamiliar words. As Food

Detectives, we can learn the

truth behind the words!

WATCH OUT FOR THESE

Articial (e.g. articial avoring)

Hydrogenated (see pg. 12)

OTHER NAMES FOR SUGAR(Often ending in ose)

Cane Juice

Dextrose

Fructose

Glucose

High fructoseHoney

Lactose

Maltodextrin

Maltose

Molasses

Sucrose

Syrups (e.g. corn syrup)

watch

Remember:

In terms of the

% DV,

5% is lowand

20% is high

CALORIES FROM FAT

Refers to how many of the calories are from

fat (keep this number low!).

Wheres the fruit? Notice how the front of the box has pictures of fruit

and the name of the cereal is Swirled Berries? Look at the ingredients

on the food label do you see any fruit listed? Nope! Not a one!w 10

% DAILY VALUES (DV)

A high DV means a food contains alot of that nutrient. A low DV means

that the product contains only a

small amount of that nutrient.

CHECK IT OUT!

The 2nd, 4th, and 5th

most important ingre-

dients in the cereal are

sugars!


12/20

A carbohydrate (or carbs, as they are commonly known) is our bodys main source of fuel. There are two main types

of carbohydrates complex and simple. Whats the difference?Whats a Carbohydrate?

Just like our cars needs fuel to run, our bodies also need fuel. However, the type of food (fuel) we put intoour bodies can make a big difference.

SIMPLE Carbohydrates

COMPLEX CarbohydratesComplex carbohydrates are the main fuel our bodies need.

They come from plants, and include grains, vegetables, and

beans.

Unlike simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates provide

much more nutrition. The sugar is created during digestion,so it is released into the body at a slower rate.

This type of carbohydrate can also be referred to as simple sugars because

the fuel is in the form of sugar. Foods in this category include honey, jams/jellies,

table sugar, cookies, syrup, candies, soft drinks, and also fruits, & fruit juices.

Although fruit and fruit juices are considered simple carbs, these foods provide

other important nutrients like ber! Buy juices that are 100% fruit juice!

The calories contained in most simple carbohydrates offer little nutrition they go

straight to the blood; thats where we get the term, sugar rush.

11


13/20

the GOOD... the unsaturated

MONOUNSATURATED FATThese are the good guys! They include foods such as olive, peanut, sesame

and canola oils, and avocados. They are heart-healthy and may help lowercholesterol.

POLYUNSATURATED FATThese are the most important for maintaining a healthy body. Polyunsaturated

fats include corn, cottonseed, safower, sunower, and soybean oils, and sh

oil. They have also been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Whats Fat?

the BAD...

SATURATED FATThese are considered the bad fats because they can raise

cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease. Saturated fats

are found in meats, poultry, dairy products, such as whole milk

and cheese, as well as in some vegetable oils, such as palm

kernel oils (found in cookies, cakes, crackers, and other bakedproducts).

the very BAD...

TRANS-FATTY ACIDS (TRANSFAT)This type of fat is the worst! Transfat is created when unsaturated

fats undergo a manufacturing process called hydrogenation

when a liquid or semi-soft fat is transformed into a more solid

state. They are dangerous because they act like saturated fats

in the body and raise cholesterol. 12

We know the term and know that we should limit it (at least the bad kind), but

what exactly is fat and whats the difference between the four types of fats

monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, and transfat?


14/20

Boppin Basil Dip

1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise2 tablespoons skim milk1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (1 tsp. dried basil)1 teaspoon onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth. Refrigerate forabout one hour. Serve with veggies. Suggestions: broccoli, cauliower, red or green peppers,celery, tomatoes, carrots

Pairing vegetables with a healthydip is a great way to get kids to

eat more veggies!

RECIPES

Best Black Bean & Veggie Burrito

Layer all the ingredients on the tortilla, starting with the beans. Put in the microwave for about 1minute to melt the cheese. *

Package of whole wheat our tortillas

16 oz can of black beans

Lettuce, shredded

Tomatoes, chopped

Onions, chopped

Low-fat cheese, shredded (a small handful per serving)

Salsa

Non-fat plain yogurt (great substitute for sour cream!)

Black beans are anexcellent source of ber,

iron, and protein, andhave less than 1 gram of

fat per serving!

When kids help you cook andprepare meals, they will learn to

appreciate healthy foods!

13

* For variety, add chicken


15/20

Many packages contain phrases or words that can

be misleading, making us think we are purchasing

a healthy product. As Food Detectives, knowing

what these terms really mean can reduce the

likelihood of being fooled!

Did You Know?

Sometimes frozen fruits and vegetables are more nutritious than fresh ones! The longer that fruits orvegetables sit around waiting to be sold or eaten, the more nutrients they lose. But fruits and vegetables

grown for freezing are usually frozen right after theyre picked. Therefore, they have less time to lose their

nutrients.

think about the clues

14

FIBERAdded FiberContains at least 2.5

grams of ber perserving.

Good Source ofFiberContains 2.5 to 4.9

grams of ber per

serving.

High-FiberContains 5 grams of

ber per serving.

SUGARSugar-FreeContains less than

0.5 grams of sugarper serving.

Reduced SugarAt least 25% less

sugar than the

original version of

the product.

No Sugar AddedNo sugar added

during the

processing or

packaging, including

ingredients that

contain sugar, suchas juice or dried

fruit.

CALORIEReduced CaloriesHas at least 25%

fewer calories thanthe regular version

of that food item.

Low Calorie40 or less calories

for most food items;

120 or less for main

dish products.

Calorie FreeLess than 5 calories

per serving.

Light or Lite

Contains one-thirdfewer calories or

50% less fat than

the original.

FATReduced FatAt least 25% less fat

per serving than theoriginal version of a

food product.

Fat FreeLess than 0.5 grams

of fat per serving.

Low Fat3 grams of fat (or

less) per serving.

Light or LiteContains one-third

fewer calories or

50% less fat thanthe original product.


16/20

Try these quick and nutritious ideas for breakfast.

Peanut Butter Surprise: Toast a whole-grain frozen wafe and top with peanut butter, bananas,and cinnamon.

Cantaloupe Bowl: Cut cantaloupe in half, remove seeds, ll the hole with yogurt and top withraisins and nuts.

The Standard (with a Twist): Dry cereal of your choice (chose one low in sugar)dress it up withdried fruit or fresh berries (use low-fat milk).

Cloud Crunch: Mix together low-fat cottage cheese, fresh fruit, and granola.

Breakfast Scramble: Whisk together milk and eggs. Mix in green peppers, tomatoes, and blackbeans. Scramble until cooked. Top with salsa and low-fat cheese.

15

Heres a great way to get your kids thinking about fruits

and vegetables while encouraging their creativity.

Before you head to the grocery store, have your

kids create pictures of the fruits or vegetables that

they want to eat. Be sure that they draw or glue their

pictures right on the grocery bag!

Take the bag with you to the grocery store. Have yourkids match the fruit or veggies they created with the

ones at the store and place them into their special

shopping bag!

grocery bag

recipe ideas

This activity is

a great way toreduce, recycle,

and reuse your

grocery bags!

kid activity

Supplies Needed: Brown paper grocery bag Markers Crayons Construction paper Glue Scissors

creation fun!


17/20

healthy snacks

- Applesauce

- Plain popcorn- Graham crackers- Frozen yogurt bars- Celery and peanut butter- Fruit smoothie (see recipe, page 5)- Veggies and low fat dip (see recipe, pg. 13)- Whole wheat toast or crackers with peanut

butter- Yogurt and granola- Pita bread with hummus

- Veggie juice (e.g. V8) (low sodium optionavailable!)

- Whole wheat g bars- Fresh fruit dressed with condiments (e.g.

peanut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese)- Cucumbers with lime juice, light salt, or chili

powder- Nuts (almonds are great)- Dried fruit- Fresh fruit- Yogurt-covered pretzels or raisins- Low-fat string cheese- Rice cakes- Salads (see recipe, page 5)

BE CREATIVE AND MAKEUP YOUR OWN IDEAS!

To encourage healthy food eating, give your children a choice

between two different healthy foods. This can help prevent

arguments about junk food versus healthy food.

Show your kids how much you enjoy eating healthy food!

healthful

Eating healthy can have long-term benets for your children! Use the list below

for healthy and delicious snack ideas. Have fun and be creative with your food

choices. Get your kids involved in the preparation!

Most people need to try a particular food about 5-10 times

before acquiring a taste for it. Dont give up!

16

hints

Some foods might not be appropriate for kids under 3 check with your doctor!


18/20

instead of...Whole milk

Cookies

Chips

White bread

Ice cream

Pop

Cheese

Juice

White rice

try1% or skim milk (for kids 2 years and older)

Whole wheat Newton Bars

Home-popped popcorn or low-sodium pretzels

Whole wheat bread

Frozen yogurt or yogurt with fresh fruit

Water with lime or lemon

Low-fat or mozzarella cheese

Diluted juice (1/2 water and 1/2 juice)

Brown rice (or other options, such as couscous)

food make-overs

Be sure to look for the words whole

wheat on the packages and food

labels; select foods with a good

amount of ber and low levels ofsugar and sodium.

healthful

17

hint


19/20

localAction for Media Education (AME) (www.action4mediaeducation.org): Learn how you can get involved in media literacyeducation from this Seattle-based non-prot organization.

Community Resources Online Database (www2.ci.seattle.wa.us/crisisclinic/): Search by topic or organization to ndinformation about health issues important to you.

Healthy Choices for Kids (http://www.healthychoices.org/): Developed by the Growers of Washington State Apples; thiswebsite is jam-packed with nutrition information and kid-friendly activities.

Public Health Seattle & King County (http://www.metrokc.gov/health/portal/nutrition.htm): Here is your local connection to

nutrition information in Seattle and the greater Seattle area.

national5-A-Day (http://www.5aday.com): User-friendly website for both parents and kids. Get ideas for how to include colors inyour daily diet.

American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org): Learn more about diabetes, as well as get connected to localresources.

Kids Health (http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy): Nutrition information and ideas for keeping kids healthy. Includes kid-friendly recipes. This website is also available in Spanish.

Media Awareness Network (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/): Learn more about how advertisers use tricks toreach kids. This website includes a section on advertising and food.

Nutrition Facts & Calorie Counter(http://www.nutritiondata.com): Provides nutrition information for many foods, includingfast foods.

U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesWe Can! Program (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/): The We Can! (Ways to Enhance Childrens Activity & Nutrition) website is loaded with nutrition information

and ideas for making tness fun.

resources

A very special thanks to all of our parent educators from ESD 121 who helped in the preparation of the

Food for Thoughtproject. We couldnt have done it without you!

The following resources were used in the preparation of this guide: The Harvard Medical School Guide

to Healthy Eating for Kids: Eat, Play and Be Healthy(W. Allan Walker, MD); Dont Eat this Book: FastFood and the Supersizing of America(Morgan Spurlock); Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food

Industry, Americas Obesity Crisis, & What We Can Do About It(Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D.); The Kids

Market: Myths and Realities (James U. McNeal, Ph.D.); The United States Department of Agriculture. 18

Use these resources to further help guideyou in becoming Food Detectives.


20/20

Supported by the Steps to aHealthierUS Cooperative Agree-

ment of the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services.

Produced by Action for Media

Education (AME)

www.action4mediaeducation.org

EDUCATION

resource guide final english

Documents