IN THIS ISSUE:
Nutrition for Young Children
Ten Tips for Healthy Snacking
Recipe: Italian Bean Bruschetta
Updates from 24 Carrot Press
News in Brief:
Produce for Kids Classroom Contest Winners
Recent Studies of Interest
Recommended Site: FoodChamps.org

Nutrition for Young Children

Promoting good nutrition practices and fun physical play sets the stage for a lifetime of good health for young children. Food-related habits, healthy lifestyle behaviors and relationships which influence future health are all established at an early age.

While parents are ultimately responsible for shaping their children’s health environment, child care centers and family day care homes also play a key role.

I have recently become more involved in promoting nutrition education in child care centers and family day care homes. I have been working with the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) to assist in the development of nutrition education modules aimed at early childhood. I will be sure to post the link to these materials when they are available for download.

Web-based Seminars for child care providers
I will be conducting three free webinars on creative nutrition education for child care providers in March and April. Details on accessing the webinars can be found at the NFSMI website, located at http://www.nfsmi.org. Below is a description of the web-based seminars.

Playing, Learning, and Growing: Fun Food Activities that reinforce health messages
This seminar will provide a brief overview of early childhood education and how food activities such as cooking, gardening, games, and role playing can contribute to learning and health. The seminar will include several examples of activities that providers can easily incorporate into their child care curriculum.

Using children's storybooks as a basis for nutrition education
There are many quality children's story books that provide food, nutrition, and health messages. This seminar will offer numerous examples of how to use story books as the basis of health and nutrition education lessons.

Creating an Active, Healthy Environment
This seminar will focus on designing an environment for children which invites discovery learning in the areas of both nutrition and activity/movement. Child care providers will take-away several ideas for setting up play centers which encourage children to make healthful food choices.

I hope many of you can participate in one or all of the "webinars" (who knew that would ever be a word??). Also, please feel free to share this information with any one involved or interested in child care or development.

In good health,

Recipe: Italian Bean Bruschetta

Updates from 24 Carrot Press

New Nutrition Curriculum Planning Tool New from 24 Carrot Press is a comprehensive nutrition curriculum guide that outlines a complete 1st - 6th grade curriculum that is integrated, behavior-based and sequential. The guide provides detailed guidance for classroom education, based on the resources How to Teach Nutrition to Kids, Nutrition Fun with Brocc & Roll, and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System. This tool is available as an electronic download (PDF) from the nutritionforkids.com website. This 8 page guide is just $9.95. View a sample page of this new tool.

Copy-Ready Nutrition Education Handouts
Our copy-ready children's handouts are a fun and low-cost way to reinforce positive food and nutrition messages. Check back often to see our new and updated selections.

Media Tour
Connie may be coming to your city. Beginning on February 9th, she will in appear on local television in several major cities, including St. Lous, San Diego, Chicago, Cinncinati, San Antonio, Houston, Phoenix, and a few others (stay tuned...). She will be sharing her secrets on how to get kids to choose healthy snacks.

News in Brief

Produce for Kids Announces Classroom Contest Winners
More than 100 classrooms of all grade levels submitted entries in the PFK Play with Your Produce Healthy Challenge. All entering classrooms received activity sheets, temporary tattoos, fruit and veggie stickers, and PBS KIDS® pencils. The three grand prize winners received a $500 grant to promote school-based health and wellness, a classroom party toolkit that included a $100 gift certificate to purchase produce and other nutritious food, along with fun party ideas and healthy recipes. The prize package also included a signed book for the classroom – How to Teach Nutrition to Kids, 3rd Edition, by Connie L. Evers, MS, RD. Visit the Produce For Kids website to view the winning entries.

Recent Studies of Interest:

• Recess Makes for Better Students: Study finds getting enough of it each day helps kids perform better in classroom. Link
• Preschool Lunch Doesn't Always Pack Nutritious Punch Link

Recommended Site: FoodChamps.org
Sponsored by the Produce for Better Health Foundation, FoodChamps is the child-friendly version of the Fruit and Veggie More Matters campaign. Featuring the Fruit & Veggies Color Champions, kids can access interactive games, coloring sheets, activity pages and recipes.

©2009 by Connie Liakos Evers, All Rights Reserved.

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