Welcome to Wellness By Kids!

Good nutrition is vitally important to the health and wellness of children in all age groups. We are working toward the goal of Children's Health & Wellness! Health & Wellness geared toward children is our mission and goal. There is no secret to healthy eating. Be sure to eat a variety of foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products. Also include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, and legumes. Drink lots of water and go easy on the salt, sugar, and saturated fat. Good nutrition should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle of children.

Kids know it is important to eat a healthy diet because it is needed for growth and energy. They also know that it is important to exercise. Their food intake and physical activity are critical aspects of growth, development and being healthy overall. Recent research has shown that nourishing food makes a child healthier, and improves thinking skills and school performance.

Encouraging your children to eat well and exercise on a regular basis will have a positive impact on them in the future and just a few easy health habits now can make a big health difference later on.

Are you seriously worried about your child's health and that they are not getting the proper nutrients and eating too much junk? Do you spend your whole life worrying about how much weight that they are putting on? Do you wonder the long term health effects?

Parents are in charge!

As a parent, your responsibility is to buy healthy groceries and serve nutritious food to your growing children. Start by establishing a routine, even if it is difficult at first. This means a set time for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Once you have a routine for meals and snacks, meal times are more relaxed. Most children are happier on a schedule and become hungry at regular times. You'll feel happier about your parenting job when the family has a routine.

So, be consistent! Children need a meal routine just like they need a bedtime routine. Plan for three meals and two snacks each day! Serve a vegetable or fruit at every meal. Fruits and vegetables are great for snacking too.
Instead of rewarding your child with food, reward them with attention (hugs, kisses, and smiles) and playful activities.

Money-Saving Ideas For Better Health

Avoid arguments about high-fat, high-sugar foods by not bringing them into the house. Leave the candy, soft drinks, chips, and cookies at the store.
Serve water when your child is thirsty. Water is cheap and healthy.

Portion Size for Young Children 2–6 Years Old

Serve child-sized portions, and let your child ask for more. Here are some examples of child-sized portions:

1/3 to ½ cup of frozen veggies
1 or 2 little cooked broccoli spears
½ cup of tomato sauce
5 to 7 cooked baby carrots
1/3 to ½ cup of melon
5 to 7 strawberries
½ cup of apple sauce
1 small tangerine
1/3 to ½ cup of frozen or fresh berries 1 cup (8 fl. oz.) low-fat yogurt or nonfat milk
1/3 to ½ cup of macaroni-and-cheese, rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes
2oz. hamburger
¼ cup ground meat such as turkey or pork, browned and drained
1 or 2 drumsticks

TV Time

Tired of hearing your children beg for sugary, high-fat foods? They may be influenced by too many commercials.
Limit the amount of time your children watch TV to less than 2 hours a day. Remove the TV from your child's room.
Find fun activities to do inside and outside your home: play hopscotch, jump rope, walk the dog, play hide-and-seek, or build an obstacle course in the hall.

Eat at Home

Part of having a healthy family includes spending time together. The family meal is a great way for everyone to get together, have a conversation, and eat together.

Serving meals at home requires planning. Before you do your shopping, sit down and plan your meals for the week. Make a list of all the ingredients you'll need to prepare healthy, balanced meals. When fatigue kicks in and you want dinner on the table fast, your menu is already planned and the ingredients are right on hand.
Make sure to always include low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fruit, and vegetables.
Limit the amount of processed ready to-eat-snacks you buy (such as potato chips or cookies). Prepackaged and processed foods are usually higher in calories and fats and often more expensive. For the price of a large bag of chips and box of cookies you can buy the items below
2 pounds of apples
1 pound of bananas
1 pound of carrots
3 pounds of potatoes
1 pound of peppers
Simplify your schedule for better quality of life. Say no to lessons, teams, and commitments that don't interest you or your child. If you or your child are feeling overwhelmed, consider limiting the number of organized activities your child participates in to one per season.
Children thrive on routine. Routine meals, naps, outdoor play, and bedtime can make for a happy child who comes to the table rested and hungry for the food you have prepared.

To serve a healthy and balanced meal at home, choose a variety of foods from several food groups. Children need to eat a variety of different foods every day. Use the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children to help guide your food choices.

Getting Children Involved

An easy way to get children to try new foods is to get them involved in meals. Here are some age-appropriate suggestions. 3-year-olds can

Wipe table tops.
Scrub and rinse fruit and vegetables.
Wash and tear lettuce.
Snap green beans.
Bring ingredients from one place to another.
Mix ingredients and pour liquids.
Knead and shape yeast dough.
Put things in the trash.
Shake liquids in a covered container.

4-year-olds can also

Peel oranges or hard cooked eggs.
Mash bananas with a fork.
Set a table.
Cut parsley or green onions with kid-safe scissors.

5-year-olds can also

Measure ingredients.
Use an egg beater or whisk.

Picky Eating Tips

Parents are role models! Set a good example by eating healthy foods yourself! Buy and try new fruits and vegetables. Drink water between meals. Set an eating routine at home for your meals and snacks. Your children will learn by your good example.
Don't expect your child to like something new the first time. Offer it again in a week. It usually takes several tries before children are willing to try new foods.
Place a small amount of each food on your children's plates. Let them ask for more. It's normal for children to explore foods. Young children often touch or smell the food on their plate.
Children thrive on routine. Just like you have a bedtime routine, stick to a feeding routine. Your child is less likely to be tired or fussy at mealtimes!
Offer healthy foods. Your child soon learns these are the foods in your home and will eventually eat!

Tips for raising a Healthy Child

1. Limit television, movies, video and computer games to 1-2 hours a day.

2. Encourage your child to play sports at a young age and start by playing sports, exercising or plan fun family outings that include physical activity together.

3. Eat family meals and try to develop a healthy eating pattern that always includes breakfast, lunch, dinner.

4. While shopping choose lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain items.

5. Limit high fat foods and try vegetarian products and soy milk.

6. Children should have household chores that give them responsibility and also exercise.

"JUST LOOK AT THOSE HANDS!"

You've heard it over and over again: "Just look at those hands! Wash them!" Sure. You get tired of hearing it. And you probably tired of washing up so often. But if you knew—and if grown-ups knew—exactly why it's so important, hand washing would be "number one" on everyone's list of things to do. You say you washed you hands this morning after you woke up? That's good. But now it's lunchtime. You mean you haven't washed your hands again? Once a day just isn't good enough—not if you want to keep harmful bacteria and other germs away!

We all know human hands are wonderful things. They can clap and snap. They can hold a napping cat or stir soup a vat. But busy hands can also pick up dirt and germs. And these sneaky varmints love to play hide-and-seek. Just look at your hands. See the lines, cracks and wrinkles where dirt and germs hide. You can see even tinier nooks and crannies if you look at your own hand with a magnifying glass. It looks almost like a sponge, doesn't it? While you're looking, you may also see some dirt. But no matter how hard you look, you won't see any germs. That's because they are tiny creatures (micro-organisms) that can only be seen through a microscope.

Where do germs come from? They live everywhere. In fact, billions of them grow and live on your body every day. Their favorite hangouts are your hair, under your fingernails and in the small folds of your skin. Most of these germs won't hurt you. In fact, you can't even get rid of many of them, no matter how hard you try. But germs also come from the world around you, and some of these can hurt you. They can make you sick. Luckily, these are the sort you can do something about. Do you know where your last cold came from? Scientists believe most people get colds and other illnesses by touching a sick person or by touching something a sick person touched. That doesn't mean you shouldn't touch other people or things. And it doesn't mean you have to wear gloves.

All you have to do is wash your hands often. Hand washing can also help you keep food safe. Let's say you're making lunch for your friends. If your dirty hands touch the food, germs could spread, grow and cause food poisoning. So next time, don't just look at those hands—wash them! Follow these hand washing tips: