Healthy Habits in the Classroom
Heathy Habits Committee
With the support of Ms. Kamau, the goal of this committee is to encourage healthy eating habits on campus and to promote an overall active and healthy lifestyle for our children. Learning to eat healthy foods is just as much a part of their curriculum as reading, writing and math, so we are excited to have this opportunity.
From birthday to holiday parties throughout the school year, children and teachers have numerous reasons to celebrate. Celebrations are a great way for children to feel part of the school community, where the learning environment is made festive and where children, teachers and parents can come together to enjoy a break from the routine. Traditionally, school parties often center around food. Foods such as cupcakes, cookies, candy, chips, pizza, and juice boxes, are often the central components of school party menus. While these foods, in moderation, are not too harmful, these unhealthy choices have almost become daily norms in the classroom, rather than exceptions.
We encourage you to plan classroom celebrations that include active games, crafts, and healthy foods and beverages. Remember, focus on FUN rather than FOOD whenever possible. When creating sign up lists be sure to include lots of healthy food options, and limit sugary items and deserts. Click on the link below for a long list of healthy school snack ideas.
https://cspinet.org/protecting-our health/nutrition/healthy-school-snacks
Celebration ideas:
■ Give children extra recess time instead of a party.
■ Have a dance party. Let students select the music. Invite the principal and other school staff!
■ Get students involved in planning and preparing for celebrations – let them make decorations and favors and let them choose the games.
■ Create a book honoring what is being celebrated that day. Have students draw pictures showing what the day means to them.
■ Organize a special community service project instead of a party. Collect goods and make cards for sheltered families, organize a project outside for Earth Day.
■ Have students vote on a special class art project or craft. Invite a local artist to come in and do a demonstration.
■ Arrange a treasure hunt around the classroom. Provide a special nonfood treat at the end. Use a theme that ties into what the kids are learning in class.
■ Ask students to come up with healthy party ideas, and ask parents to send in healthy recipes and ideas for activities, games and crafts. .
■ Plan around holiday themes. Students can make cards for winter holidays, decorate the classroom with hearts for Valentine’s Day, and learn an Irish step-dance for St. Patrick’s Day. Search education websites for ideas.
Thank You,
Haleh Bakshandeh Nowain MD.
Healthy Habits in the Classroom Committee
WAVE HealthyEatingLivingLifestyleOrg to a healthier campus!
6 Tips for our Kids to Start the New Year on a Healthy Kick
The below article along with other healthy tips can be found at https://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/eat-smart/encourage-kids-to-eat-healthy-food/
Get them involved
If you involve kids in planning meals, going grocery shopping, and preparing food, they will become invested in the process and more likely to eat. Even toddlers too young to make grocery lists can help you make choices (pears or nectarines? cheddar or swiss?) along the way. Simple, no-cook recipes like frozen yogurt popsicles or fruit parfaits are an excellent way to get young chefs interested in healthy cooking and eating.
Go to the source
Teach kids where their food comes from. Rather than limiting yourself to the weekly supermarket run, take your family to a local farmer’s market (or to the farm itself) and meet the people who grow the food. Picking berries from a vine can help nurture a lifelong love of good eating and environmental stewardship. Visiting a dairy farm can teach children where their milk comes from (and why we should care about what goes in it). Planting tomatoes and melons in the garden may tempt a child to try the fruits of her labor.
Make healthy snacks available
If you stock the kitchen exclusively with healthy treats, children will eat them. As your children grow, stock good snacks in cabinets and shelves that they can reach without your help.
Some kids eat more when they’re in the car than when they’re at the table simply because active play isn’t a viable alternative when you’re strapped in. Make sure you’re prepared with nutritious snacks whether you’re driving the carpool or going to soccer practice. Good choices include sliced apples, carrot sticks, whole grain crackers, light popcorn, raisins and water bottles.
Give them freedom of choice
Like the rest of us, kids want to have it their way. But no parent wants to be a short order cook, making four different meals for four different family members. Instead try the fixings bar approach. Offer a suitable base meal, like rice and beans, whole wheat tortillas or lean ground taco meat. Then let kids (and adults) dress it up with chopped tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, cheese, salsa, jicama, parsley, peppers and other toppings. You might also try a pasta bar with a variety of healthy sauces. This approach works especially well when you?re serving young guests whose food preferences you may have trouble predicting.
Kids like choices at snack time too, so consider packing an insulated lunch bag full of good snacks so they can make their own smart choices (and you can avoid hearing “I don’t want THAT!”).
Drink to that
Remember that your child doesn’t have to just eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day he can also drink them. Smoothies and mixed fruit drinks like watermelon slush and mango lassi can be a fun way to introduce new fruits.
Be a role model
A recent study found that young children’s food tastes are significantly related to foods that their mothers liked and disliked. Letting your child see you order a fresh salad rather a burger and fries at the drive-through may encourage her to do the same.
Don’t give up
Studies show that most children need multiple exposures (between 5 and 10) to try new foods. This isn’t to say that showing your child the same papaya or avocado five nights in a row will win her over, but rather to suggest that you shouldn’t give up the first time she rejects something.
Teach healthy eating habits early
Use meal and snack times as teachable moments to help even the youngest children make wise food choices. You’ll find some great tips and strategies for helping babies and toddlers develop healthy eating habits in this downloadable booklet (requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader) from Zero to Three.
