| With the harvest season upon us and with the start | | | | - Offer a variety of colors. |
| of school, it's a good time to review the importance | | | | - Have cut-up fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator |
| of fruits and vegetables for current and long-term | | | | ready for snacking. |
| health of young people. Government research has | | | | - Have them on the table or counter before kids |
| shown a troubling increase in obesity in Americans - | | | | walk in the door. Hungry kids often grab the first |
| young people included. While inactivity is partly to | | | | thing they see. |
| blame, poor diets also contribute to obesity and | | | | - Offer vegetables at the beginning of the meal |
| related health problems. | | | | before other foods. |
| Fruits and vegetables are a healthy alternative to | | | | - Try low-fat dips or salad dressings. |
| foods that contribute to obesity and other health | | | | - Go to the farmers markets and have your child |
| problems. Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients | | | | select a new fruit or vegetable to try. |
| and low in fat. They are great sources of vitamins A | | | | - Let children join in daily meal and snack choices and |
| and C, potassium, folic acid, thiamin, calcium and fiber, | | | | preparation. |
| to mention only a few of their attributes. | | | | For preschoolers, how you serve food can be as |
| Look for Color | | | | important as taste. Presentation and attitude can |
| Good nutrition is needed for optimal growth, | | | | make a difference. |
| development and healing. Adding more fruits and | | | | - Serve with a smile. |
| vegetables - those with lots of color - each day has | | | | - Try funny names like cloudiflower, broccoli trees |
| been shown to decrease the risks of many kinds of | | | | forests, and Tommy tomato. |
| cancers. | | | | - Make faces on the plate using carrot rounds for |
| How much should you serve? That depends on the | | | | eyes, shredded pieces for hair, raisins for a nose etc. |
| age, activity level and growth rate of a child. Go to | | | | - Cut oranges in half, then slice making orange smiles. |
| the MyPyramid Plan at mypyramid.gov you can enter | | | | Cut those in half again to make grins. |
| the age, gender and activity level of your child and | | | | Developing Lifelong Habits |
| see more specific recommendations. (MyPyramid.gov | | | | The preschool age is critical for development of |
| also has some great resources for child nutrition, | | | | life-long positive ideas and habits involving food |
| including menu planning, games, coloring pages and | | | | choices. That's why it's important to keep trying |
| classroom materials.) | | | | when children reject fruits and vegetables. Statistics |
| Aim for variety and about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of | | | | show that it takes eight to 12 times for preschoolers |
| vegetables, and approximately 1-1/2 cups of fruit | | | | to be introduced to a new food before they may |
| every day, or 5 to10 total servings. | | | | try and accept it. |
| What's a serving for a preschooler? These young | | | | But never force a child to eat foods and avoid using |
| people eat less, but their need for nutrition is | | | | any food as a punishment or a reward for behavior. |
| extremely important for proper growth. Fruit and | | | | Modeling is critical. If you don't eat fruits and |
| vegetable serving sizes for this age group are 1/3 to | | | | vegetables, your children won't either. |
| 1/2 cup of fresh, frozen, or canned; or one to two | | | | If all else fails, there's always the blender. Hide green |
| tablespoons dried. Juice servings should be three to | | | | peppers and cooked carrots in spaghetti sauce. Whip |
| four ounces, while salad servings should be 1/2 to 3 | | | | up a fruit smoothie. |
| 4 cup. | | | | In addition to the helpful information at |
| Overcoming Objections | | | | MyPyramid.gov, a fun web site for additional tips on |
| If you have trouble getting your preschooler to eat | | | | selection, storage, preparation, health benefits and |
| fruits and vegetables - as many parents do, try | | | | recipes is fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. |
| these steps: | | | | |