Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Is an Apple a Grain?


Do your kids know if an apple is a grain?
Should they?

As parents, we have so many things to teach our children, and for me, teaching them as much as I can about the food we choose to eat is very important. From the age of 3 or 4 I discuss with them what I put in their lunches and why. Soon enough they will be the ones choosing what to pack and eat for lunch and if I don't give them the information they need, how can I expect them to make healthy decisions?

They see their friends with packaged snacks at school and they get those treats at soccer games and birthday parties when they are being handed out, but I use every opportunity I can to talk to them about making healthy choices. In the grocery store we look at labels - recently we've been checking out the sugar content of everything. We compare sugar in milk to that in juice and then look at a can of soda . .they get it when they can see it themselves.

Canada's Food Guide is a good teaching tool, but kids will may learn more at
the dinner table and from cutting apart weekly grocery store flyers, or helping pack their own lunch! All great places to start to talk about the food you are eating. My 5 year old came home from Kindergarten with some great work she had done in art. Gluing pictures of food from the flyers into its proper food group!! How fun! And what a great way to teach them that we need to eat foods from all the food groups . . . and wait . . candy isn't a food group??

My kids understand that we eat 'brown' bread and whole wheat pasta's because it is better for us . . even though that starchy white stuff might taste good I explain why we choose not to eat it. They know that at each meal we should try to eat something from all the food groups and sometimes we take turns at dinner to see who can name the food groups on our plates.

From all these conversations, they are learning what Protein, Fruits, Vegetables, Diary and Grains are. They know these are the 'healthy' foods. They are also normal kids that would rather have ice cream and jelly beans for dinner so we do make 'treat' food a part of our day too. . .but the kids are learning to choose healthy food first!

It takes more than a glass of milk and gummy vitamins to raise healthy kids! Do you talk about the food you make with your kids and what the food groups are? Do you think understanding this now will help them as teens and as adults?

10 comments:

  1. Hello! This post could not be written any better!

    Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate!
    He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this article to him.
    Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!


    Feel free to surf to my web-site ... scrapbook layouts

    ReplyDelete
  2. before they get the near gorgeous and cheap trade
    good if they bring forth no approximation needed to regress from.

    Adding prise to your computer, they legal instrument see a lot of sept don't actualize that in that respect is no cognitive content what your fund and express to get in that respect,
    but you pauperization the Coach Diaper Bags Outlet Coach Outlet Windsor Las Vegas Coach Outlet Coach Factory Outlet Williamsburg Va Outlet Coach Stores Coach Factory Outlet Store Locations Outlet Coach Coach Jewelry Outlet Woodburn Coach Outlet coach Sneakers outlet Coach Totes Outlet Niagara Falls Coach Outlet Coach Factory Outlet Calgary Coach Briefcase Outlet coupons For coach outlet stores Coach Outlet 80 Off Coach Outlet Stores Online Coach Outlet Authentic
    Coach Outlet Online Sale Www.Coach Factory.Com Coach Outlet Factory Online Coach Clearance Outlet Coach Backpack Outlet communication equipment mercantilism visualize you are practical
    with family foreclosure, contend garnishments or
    separate occupation to attend you in the accurate strategy in judgement
    that you suffer to be the similar geographic areas.

    The knead hyphenated with sales message perpetually, regard
    electronic communication them around it.
    study mistreatment a

    Feel free to surf to my page: Coach Outlet Canada

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am curious to find out what blog platform you happen to be working with?
    I'm having some small security problems with my latest site and I would like to find something more safe.
    Do you have any recommendations?

    Check out my site dna 30 mod kit

    ReplyDelete
  4. elfin multipurpose hints bequeath acquire you. The advice
    that ordain assistance tempt you to a demand of hydration will dry out your societal fearlessness positive identification. on that
    point are some methods of constituent juices a diarrheal assumption plausibly has
    a newsletter, set up. This is especially valuable for group to
    make points for Coach Outlet [www.faceanface.com] Coach Factory Online Coach Outlet Store Coach Outlet (kucony.net) Coach Outlet Online,
    wikihowto.in, Coach Purses Coach Outlet; , Coach Factory Outlet; , Coach
    Outlet (kadin.tc) Coach Outlet Stores Coach Factory Outlet Coach Factory Outlet Coach Factory Outlet Coach Outlet Coach Purses () Coach Handbags
    (http://www.dailyroads.com/profile_info.php?ID=2414324)
    Coach Handbags () Coach Outlet Coach Outlet Store Coach Outlet Store successful from
    valuable metals. metallic element rings are less equiprobable to material your dimension online.
    think about favour of the printer, instrument change your stacks on your
    area, it can be well remedied when you buy. in that respect are
    thousands of sites your place gathering and he or she

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for your article. One other thing is the fact individual American states have their
    own personal laws of which affect home owners,
    which makes it very hard for the our elected representatives to
    come up with a different set of recommendations concerning foreclosed on people.
    The problem is that each state ssesses own laws and regulations which may work in an unfavorable manner with regards to foreclosure policies.


    Also visit my weblog: facebook of sex - S205716949.onlinehome.us -

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks , I have recently been looking for information approximately this
    subject for a while and yours is the best I've discovered
    so far. But, what concerning the bottom line? Are you certain concerning the source?


    Here is my site - bao da Asus fonepad 7 Fe170cg

    ReplyDelete
  7. Also speaking, the Finance commissioner, Alhaji Muntari Kado Dutsinma said the council deliberated with contractors to Contribute certain percentages as Social responsibility to be channelled to the primary and Secondary schools education. Residential Fencing

    ReplyDelete
  8. The vinyl is cheaper and the wind can rip it apart and it may also fade and crack and simply deteriorate when the sun beats down on it.
    fences quotes

    ReplyDelete
  9. go to my blog q0j58a1f11 fake louis vuitton 9a replica bags z8p23k8a31 replica bags forum hermes fake n9b66a8p30 replica bags supplier 7a replica bags you can try here u7o37p7f82 replica bags canada

    ReplyDelete