Nutrition and Fitness for Young Children
Welcome!
Little Bites, Big Steps comes from KERA’s Ready for Life Project www.readyforlife.org, whose goal is to make a difference for children ages 0-6. Little Bites, Big Steps is for parents and educators who want to teach young children healthy eating habits from the beginning. Childhood obesity is considered a national epidemic by The American Academy of Pediatrics.
We want your children to be fearless when it comes to eating healthy foods that will provide them with nutrients to grow strong and fit. By eating right and exercising, children will follow your example and maintain these beneficial habits.
 Feeding Your Child
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Objective: The first important step in teaching your child to eat is for them to learn what it means to be healthy. In this video you will learn the difference between needing food when they’re hungry versus wanting food when it is in front of them. Let your children eat until they are full. Listen to their cues. They need to learn for themselves the difference between hunger and fullness. Do not use junk food as bargaining tool to eat other foods. Teach them the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. What you eat as a parent influences what your child will eat. Eating as a family helps your child look forward to meals.
 What and How Much Do I Feed My Child
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Objective: When your child becomes a toddler they will become picky when it comes to what they eat. It is important as a parent that you still try to incorporate healthy eating habits. In this video you will learn tablespoon sized portions will prevent children from feeling overwhelmed. Selecting a variety of food and letting them serve themselves allows them to be in control of what they eat as well as experience new types of food.
 Snack Attack
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Objective: Toddlers need something to hold them over in between meals. It is important that you choose the right snacks. In this video you will learn snack time should be 1-2 hours before meal time. Snacks give light eaters a steady support of energy during the day. Snacks prevent children with big appetites from over eating. It is important to give healthy snacks instead of food with empty calories. Reading labels on prepackaged food avoids buying snacks that contain too much salt or sugar. Unlimited snacking will prevent children from eating normally at meal time, so it is important that they are not grazing.
 A Drop to Drink
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Objective: Drinking milk is important because it provides calcium and protein. It is important that parents choose healthy drinks as well as serving sizes. In this video you will learn children need at least 3 servings of milk a day. It is important how much fat is in the milk you choose. After the age of two children should be drinking reduced fat milk or skim/fat free milk. Experts only recommend 4-6oz of juice a day because juice provides a lot of extra calories. The best kind of drink for children is water.
 Energy Balance
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Objective: Your child’s height and weight should be at a healthy balance. If it is not, it is important to change your child’s diet and exercise so that one can catch up to the other. In this video you will learn to be realistic about your child’s weight in correlation to their exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight is not about appearance, it is about health. Children who have too much fat on their bodies are exposed to the same risks as adults such as diabetes, joint problems, and health disease. Overweight children are exposed to psychological issues due to teasing. Physical activity should be equal to the amount of calorie intake. Children should have a full hour of exercise a day whether it be all at once or at different parts of the day.
 Move!
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Objective: It is important for kids to be physically active whether it is inside or outside the house. Parents must make sure that their children are active for at least an hour a day. In this video you will learn children love to dance, so turning on the radio for music is a good alternative to television. Going outdoors provides children with a way to explore and be active. If the neighborhood is unsafe or there is bad weather outside, be creative with indoor activities to keep children moving. Children need to take water breaks from exercise when they become hot or thirsty. Sweating is a good sign that your child is keeping cool. Praise and/or compliments encourage your child to feel more positive about activity.
 Overview: Baby Steps
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Congratulations! You have completed the 5 modules and are on your way to giving your child a healthier lifestyle. It is important to know that learning healthy habits now will benefit children for a lifetime. You should only make positive changes one at a time. You must set the example yourself and work at it until it becomes a habit. Every success is a reason to celebrate.
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