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First Steps News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2006
[ link to pdf ]
Countdown to Kindergarten Tip – Healthy
Children are Better Learners
Good nutrition and regular exercise can help prevent medical
problems and like obesity and diabetes, and improve your child’s
overall health. The United States Department of Agriculture
recommends 4 to 8-year-olds who get about 30 minutes of exercise
each day to eat the following amounts of each food group daily:
Grains – 4 to 5 ounces. At least half of the
grains your child consumes should be whole grains such as oatmeal,
brown rice, and whole wheat bread. Whole grains can protect
against diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and also help
control your child’s weight. Refined grains, like white
bread and white rice, are processed and have had many of the
nutrients removed. One slice of bread, ½ cup of cooked rice
or pasta, ½ cup of oatmeal are all equal to about one ounce.
Vegetables – 1 ½ cups. Vegetables provide
many of the vitamins and minerals kids need for good health,
and they provide fiber to aid digestion. It’s best to
steam or microwave vegetables, or eat them raw. Boiling vegetables
is also acceptable, but some of the vitamins and minerals will
be lost to the cooking water.
Fruits – 1
½ cups. Fruits are especially good sources of important
vitamins like A and C. This food group also adds minerals such
as potassium and fiber, which help digestion. It is best to
eat fruits raw.
Dairy – 2 cups. Milk,
yogurt, and cheese are important sources of vitamin A, vitamin
D, calcium, and protein.
Vitamin A helps build healthy eyes, skin, and hair. Vitamin
D helps your child's body absorb calcium and use it for healthy
bones and teeth, along with muscle and nerve functions.
Meat, Fish, Beans, and Nuts – 3 to 4 ounces.
This food group provides protein, iron and vitamins for strong
body tissue to maintain and repair body tissues and build muscle,
and vitamin B-complex and iron to help build strong bones, teeth
and muscles. Try to use lean cuts of meat. One ounce of meat
equals a 1-ounce serving and the following each equal about
one ounce: ¼ cup cooked dry beans, one egg and one tablespoon
of peanut butter.
Fats, Oils, and Sweets. Many
fats and oils help maintain body function but all should be
used sparingly. Saturated and trans fats in solid fats, like
butter, shortening, and margarine, can increase your child’s
risk for heart disease. Also, limit your child’s sugar
intake since the body stores extra sugar fat that can lead to
weight gain and other health problems.
Frozen
Fruit Cups – a Fun AND Healthy Summer Snack
Ingredients:
10 oz. package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup applesauce 1 can mandarin orange – drained
2 tbs. orange juice (or any other 100% fruit juice)
1 cup grapes
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a bowl, mix and pour into paper
cups (NOT plastic - it will crack!) Freeze overnight. ENJOY!
Sources:
www.keepkidshealthy.com;
www.usda.gov; http://familyfun.go.com
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