HEAT: Healthy Eating & Activity Together

Early Childhood Parent Tips

Healthy

Review your child's growth charts with your health care provider.
Be a good role model and make healthy eating and activity together a goal for all family members.
Remember this is a time that children are becoming more independent.

Eating

Provide healthy choices for meals and snacks:
- Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. (Approximate serving size for age equals 1-2 tablespoons per year of age.)
- Eat 3 or more servings of whole grain foods per day. (Approximate serving size for age equals 1-2 tablespoons per year of age.)
- Limit milk intake to no more than 16 ounces per day.
- Use low-fat or non-fat milk only after 2 years of age.
- Use soft margarine rather than lard, butter or stick margarine.
- Give 100% fruit juice (not fruit drinks), but only 4-6 ounces maximum per day.
Your child's intake should meet his/her growth and activity calorie requirements - or energy in equals energy out.
Your child may not like a new food the first few times he/she tries it, so offer it many times to give the opportunity to learn to accept it and like it.
Use food only to meet nutritional needs and satisfy hunger, not as a reward or to comfort your child.
Toddlers often have an appetite slump compared to previously, which is OK if they meet their growth and energy needs.
Limit fast food meals to no more than twice per week.
Offer healthy traditional foods enjoyed in your culture (e.g., beans, corn, tortillas, fruits, and vegetables).

Activity

Plan for at least 60 minutes daily of active, free play in short periods of time.
Limit TV, video and computer time to less than 2 hours daily if your child is older than 2 years.
Discrouage TV and other screen time if your child is younger than 2 years of age.
No TV during meals.
No TV in your child's bedroom.

Together

Schedule times for family meals together.
Respect that your child is responsible for whether to eat and how much to eat, and you are responsible for what food is available, and when and where.
Don't let TV advertisements influence food selection.
Support healthy food choices and daily physical activity at your child's preschool and child care.
Help your community develop safe places and inexpensive physical activity opportunities for all families.