March is National Nutrition Month

Whether it’s starting the day off right with a healthy breakfast or fueling before an athletic event, the foods you choose can make a real difference. March is National Nutrition month.  The theme for the month is “Go Further with Food”.  Preparing your foods to go further, by planning meals and snacks in advance can also help to reduce food loss and waste. This year’s theme for National Nutrition Month® encourages us to achieve the numerous benefits healthy eating habits offer, but it also urges us to find ways to cut back on food waste. Learning how to manage food resources at home will help you “Go Further with Food”, while saving both nutrients and money.

So how can you “Go Further with Food”?

1. Include a variety of healthful foods from all of the food groups on a regular basis. Consider trying a new healthy food like quinoa or kale.  Grill or bake rather than fry your foods.  Choose colorful vegetables.
2. Consider the foods you have on hand before buying more at the store. Planning ahead is so important.  Always prepare a list before going to the store.  It saves time and money.
3. Buy only the amount that can be eaten or frozen within a few days and plan ways to use leftovers later in the week.  Plan your menus for the week.  Choose a night for leftovers whether it is made into a casserole or an addition to a meal.
4. Be mindful of portion sizes. Eat and drink the amount that’s right for you, as MyPlate encourages us to do.
5. Continue to use good food safety practices. Remember to wash your hands regularly.  While in the kitchen always wash your hands before preparing foods and when starting a new task.
6. Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week. Take a walk around the park with your family after dinner.  Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  Remember that all of your physical activity does not have to be done at one time; break your activity up into 10 minutes increments.
7. Realize the benefits of healthy eating by contacting your local University of Georgia (UGA) extension office to find more information on nutrition related programs are offered and available resources.

Special thanks to Rhea Bentley, UGA Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Columbus, GA, rbentley@uga.edu for providing this article.  Please share with your parents and kick off nutrition month with some activities for the children in your care.

 

 

Learning Through Food Experiences

Nutrition and food related activities can be utilized throughout your center in every area. So why should you use food experiences?  Children learn about math, science, language, social studies, food literacy, socio-emotional skills, art skills, pre-reading and beginning reading skills, nutrition and sensory-motor skills. Have you ever thought of how this is done through food experiences?  Once you know why it is important you can apply learning activities to develop each area.  Share with your parents and encourage them to get their “Kids in the Kitchen.”

 

 

Come and Celebrate – My Plate Turns Five

There are many resources available to help promote healthy eating  following the recommendations of My Plate.  Get you children and families involved in promoting healthy eating.  Do some recipe demonstrations and taste testing…get your parents               involved.  Invite a local farmer to your classroom and discussing from Farming to Food on the Table.  Many children have only seen certain items in specific ways, such as baby carrots, how about the roots, stem, where they come from.  There are do many learning opportunities.  They tie it all together with a book and you can have the whole day planned with all activities celebrating the My Plate and food related activities.  From books, to guessing games, to taste testing, the ideas are infinite.  I hope you will share some on your ideas back to our site to share with other.

Downloadable MyPlate Mini Poster is available for printing and using in your classroom.

For More information on MyPlate and resources please visit:

http://blogs.usda.gov/2016/06/06/myplate-turns-five-celebrating-new-resources-in-2016/

Also celebrate your plate.  Take some pictures and share with us what you are doing in the classroom.