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Using the united states department of agriculture’s myplate with your children can make learning about healthy eating both educational and fun! Here are 5 tips to help bring myplate to life for your child:
Get creative and decorate plates. MyPlate is a great way to help your children understand portion sizes. Because child-sized portions are inherently smaller than ours, kids should eat from a child-sized plate. Turn this into a fun activity with your children by decorating your own plates! You can purchase child-sized plates and decorate with stickers or non-toxic/non-washable markers to indicate the appropriate place for each food group.
Eat the rainbow! Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables will ensure your child is getting the vitamins and nutrients they need. Encourage your child to pick out different colored produce and create the colors of the rainbow on their plate with the fruits and vegetables.
Introduce a fruit or vegetable of the week. MyPlate focuses on incorporating more fruits and vegetables into each meal. Get your child interested by featuring a new fruit or vegetable each week! Look up recipes with your child that utilize the feature of the week and try to see how many new ways you can eat it. Don’t give up if your child doesn’t like it the first time - studies have shown that it can take up to 15 times before they change their mind!
Visit your local farmer’s market. Take a trip to your local farmer’s market to learn about what’s in season and try the freshest produce straight from the source. Learning about fruits and vegetables directly from farmers can be a great educational experience for the entire family. Plus, sampling the bountiful fruits and vegetables may encourage your child to try something new.
Try some fun activities on www.choosemyplate.gov. The USDA has created this kid-friendly website featuring MyPlate, containing fun activities, videos and recipes to help your family learn about nutrition. The site has great daily tips, meal plans and other resources to help you raise healthy eaters. Also, since daily physical activity is just as important to a healthy lifestyle as what we put in our bodies, you’ll also find recommendations on physical activities that will get your family moving!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
