Help Your Child Eat Well and Be Active
Set a good example and sit with your child for meals or snacks, eat healthy foods, and be active. Here are some tips:
- Offer small servings of a variety of healthy foods. Let your child eat as much as he or she wants of the healthy foods you offer, but don't make your child eat more than he or she wants.
- Your child needs about 1½ cups of vegetables and 1 cup of fruit a day. Try to offer a variety of colorful foods every day (green, yellow, orange, red, and purple).
- Offer your child two to three healthy snacks a day. Snacks are mini-meals and contain more than one food. A healthy snack includes something from at least three food groups. For example, low-fat dairy, a whole grain, and a protein, such as eggs or peanut butter. Other options are foods low in sugar and high in vitamins and minerals, such as vegetables; fresh, frozen, or canned fruits (with no added sugar); nuts or nut butters; and cheese.
- Serve salty, sugary, and fatty foods less often.
- Help your child be active for at least 60 minutes a day.
- Be active as a family. Walk, swim, or play outside together.