Nutrition and Living a Healthy Lifestyle in Early Childhood Education

By: Kelsey Gage, Paige Turpin, Rachel Ethridge, Chelsea Wewers

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

The key to living a healthy lifestyle is to balance your diet and exercise.

Being healthy can also be fun!

It’s important to educate yourself and your children so you know how to live a healthy life.

Exercise

Before you exercise be sure to stretch!

Exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week.

Find something you like to do that keeps you moving.

Exercise

Exercise can help you and your child:

Feel better

Control weight

Reduce Blood Pressure

Reduce the risk of diabetes and certain types of cancer

Gain more self confidence and self-esteem

Ways to Exercise

Aerobic ExerciseBurns fat & involves increased breathing

and elevated heart rate over an extended period of time.

Can be fun for both adults and children & includes the following activities:SwimmingRunningBasketballSoccerBicyclingTennis

Nutrition

Eat breakfast!

Eat more fruits and vegetables

Leave them out for snack in between meals

Cook & season to add with lunch or dinner

Eat in moderation

There are no “good” or “bad” foods. Eat fruits, veggies, and sweets in appropriate portions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j6nDtr0mgco

Nutrition

Talk with your family

Find out what they like & don’t like

Plan out your meals and snacks

Aim for a diet that is:

Low in salt and fat

High in fruits, vegetables and whole grains

Take a multi-vitamin

This will ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs

Find a kid friendly vitamin for your childhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AC2Z19sx8pg

Nutrition

Drink plenty of fluids

Water

Drink 8 glasses a day

Juice & V8

Stay away from too many caffeinated & sugary drinks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y6TbdS4CdRA

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The primary reason for the abundance of unhealthy foods in schools is inadequate public funding of school meals and schools in general. Unfortunately, the sale of unhealthy foods, popular among students, is an essential source of revenue for many schools.

Today, most schools are dominated by foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt. These items—pizza, burgers, French fries, cakes, snack foods, soda, and candy—are sold in cafeterias, vending machines, and school stores.

Until our schools serve more nutritious lunches for our kids we should consider sack lunches. Parents can ensure their children are receiving nutritious food by making it themselves.

For healthy sack lunch ideas visit: Kids Eat Great @ www.kidseatgreat.com/healthy-brown-bag-lunches/CachedOr Meals matter @ http://www.mealsmatter.org/Articles-And-Resources/Meal-Planning-Articles/Kids-sack-lunch-ideas.aspx

Sleep

Sleep can help protect against health risks such as: Obesity

If you’re not getting the recommended hours of sleep each night it could slow down your metabolism

May also increase your appetite, which could lead to weight gain

Heart disease Depression Stress

Sleep

Average Sleep Needs

Age Hours

Newborns (0-2 months) 12 - 18

Infants (3 months to 1 year) 14 - 15

Toddlers (1 to 3 years) 12 - 14

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) 11 - 13

School-aged children (5 to 12 years) 10 - 11

Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years) 8.5 - 10

Adults (18+) 7.5 - 9

Make It Fun for Kids

Encourage your children to want to live a healthy lifestyle by teaching them how it can be fun.

Let them choose an activity that they will enjoy.

Concentrate on your child’s successes rather than their failures.

Give them praise.

Make it Fun for Kids

Sign your child up for activities that keep them active! Ballet Basketball Baseball Gymnastics

Play and participate in outdoor activities with your child. Basketball Soccer Jump Rope Tag Bicycling

References

Every Day Health

Help Guide

Heart.org

Life Optimizer

Nutrition.com

http://www.unicef.org/dprk/ecd.pdf

http://foodrevolutionday.com/videos/food-education.html

http://www.benefitspro.com/2011/07/14/10-fattest-states-in-america?page=9

http://blog.fooducate.com/2010/03/11/why-is-there-so-much-unhealthy-food-in-schools/

References Continued

http://kidshealthy.org/kid/stay _heathly/fit/work_it_out.html

http://www.nutirion.com.sg/de/dekidsexer.asp

www.frac.org

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/seanless_summer.htm

http://www.unicef.org/dprk/ecd.pdf

www.volunteeringguide.org http://www.benefitspro.com/2011/07/14/10-fattest-states-in-

america?page=9