Help Your Child Grow Healthy and Strong (continued)

• Plan ahead. Make a list of meal ideas for the coming week. Keep in mind the days you'll have time to cook from scratch and the days you'll be pressed for time. Then make a grocery list and stick to it.
• Buy in-season fruits and vegetables. Use local farmers' markets when possible - the foods are fresher and tend to cost less.
• Purchase canned (in water or in their own juice, not heavy syrup) and frozen fruits and vegetables when fresh ones are not available or affordable. They're healthy, too, and will last longer.
• Never shop for food when you're hungry.
• Review store ads and clip coupons before shopping.
• Sign up for your grocer's bonus/discount card for additional savings.
• Stock up on sale items you can use in a timely manner. Buy in bulk for quality and value, but serve healthy portions.
• Look for items on the top and bottom shelves at the grocery store. The most costly brands are often placed at eye-level. Store brands that may be cheaper and just as good are often placed higher or lower.
• Assemble snacks at home in small baggies and use foods such as nuts and seeds, low-fat cheese and fresh veggies and fruits, rather than buying less healthy and more expensive prepackaged and processed snacks.
• Use your food budget wisely. For the price of a large bag of chips and a box of cookies, you can buy a lot of apples, bananas, carrots, potatoes, peppers and other healthy foods.

A Healthy Week-at-a-Glance

An easy and fun way to keep your family active and eating right is to create a weekly calendar of healthy lifestyle activities. Use some of the ideas below to get yourself started on building a healthy life that works for your family and your schedule.

Monday

Start a daily log of what your family eats and how they keep active; review it with them at the end of each week.

Tuesday

Go to your local community center and find out what physical activity or sports programs are available.

Wednesday

Make frozen juice pops instead of buying popsicles . They're healthier and cheaper!

Thursday

Encourage your family to use safe and accessible stairs as an active alternative to elevators and escalators.

Friday

Involve your kids in cooking and take a walk after dinner.

Saturday

Take your children food shopping and let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try.

Sunday

Review the coming week's school lunch menu with your kids, and talk about making healthy meal choices.

Resources for More Information

Nutrition and Physical Activity

• Information to help Americans live healthier lives www.healthierus.gov/
• Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan - Tips for Parents  www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/parentips/tipsforparents.htm
• Eat Smart. Play Hard.  http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhard/
• Nutrition and Physical Activity campaigns and programs  www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition.htm
• Interactive Healthy Eating Index and Interactive Physical Activity  www.usda.gov/cnpp/

Nutrition

• Food Guide Pyramid  http://www.mypyramid.gov/
• Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children  http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html
• Team Nutrition: Parent Place Place and Nutrition Education Resources for Children & Their Parents  www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Parents/index.htm    www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/index.htm
• Guidance on How to Understand & Use the Nutrition Facts Panel on Food Labels  www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html
• Food Label Interactive Quiz  www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flquiz1.html
• Information on portion control  www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/justenuff/justenough.htm   www.usda.gov/cnpp/Pubs/Brochures/HowMuchAreYouEating.pdf

Physical Activity

• The Importance of Regular Physical Activity for Children  http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/physicalactivity/index.htm
• Active Children, Active Families: A Helpful Guide for Parents  www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign/materials/adults/index.htm
• Kids in Action: Fitness for Children Birth to Age Five Get Fit: A Handbook for Youth Ages 6-17  www.fitness.gov
• Physical Activity for Children and Youth With Disabilities  www.dhhs.gov/od/physicalfitness.html
• Action for Healthy Kids  www.actionforhealthykids.org/
• Steps to a HealthierUS Healthy Lifestyle Campaign  www.healthierus.gov/steps/index.html
• The President's Challenge Physical Activity & Fitness Awards Program  www.presidentschallenge.org
• Weight management and physical activity resources  www.shapeup.org/