<p> Eight Habits of Healthy Kids Healthy Children Have Healthy Futures! Grades 3-6</p><p>As your tooth fairy you know I worry about your teeth, but do you know I also want you to be as healthy as you can be.</p><p>Unfortunately we are seeing some problems developing more and more that can be unhealthy for children now and cause health problems for them in the future. These two problems are: </p><p> Overweight  Poor Fitness</p><p>What’s the solution?</p><p>Regular Physical Activity + Proper Nutrition= Good Health</p><p>Why should I take time to become healthy?  Your body works better  You can accomplish more  You can feel better  You are less likely to get certain illnesses</p><p>Early development of good habits is more likely to carry into adulthood. Today we will learn about the 8 Habits of Healthy Kids, which if put into practice can help us to have life long healthy eating and exercise habits.</p><p>1. Eat at least a total of 5 fruits and vegetables every day.</p><p>Remember to eat the color way. Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients (vitamins and minerals our body needs to look and feel good. The darker in color your fruits and vegetables are the more nutrients you’ll find. Describe an example of broccoli and iceberg lettuce. </p><p>2. Snack on healthy foods and less “junk food” and sweets.</p><p>Eating non-nutritious or unhealthy foods can make you tired, cause overweight and not do as well in school.</p><p>Can anyone name some snack foods that the tooth fairy would not like to see kids bring to school? Show high sugar drinks and snacks and review how they can cause cavities.</p><p>Can anyone name some healthy snacks? Think fruit and vegetables, cheese, yogurt etc. for healthy snacks. Show food models.</p><p>3. Drink or eat at least 3 low fat dairy foods a day. Dairy food includes 1% or non-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.</p><p>Milk is good for you and gives your body important vitamins and minerals. One mineral found in milk is calcium. Calcium helps you to grow strong bones and teeth.</p><p>Milk is an important part of a healthy diet but it can also be a big source of (saturated) fat. The kind of fat found in some milk is not healthy for our heart. That is why we recommend choosing non-fat milk or 1% milk. These milks give you the calcium you need and are low in fat. Show and explain using bacon strips the different fat contents of non-fat, 1%, 2% and whole milk.</p><p>One cup of whole milk has as much fat as 5 strips of bacon. 2% milk has as much fat as 3 strips of bacon 1% milk has as much fat as 1 strip of bacon Non-fat milk is fat free</p><p>4. Drink at least 2 glasses of water a day instead of soda or other sweet drinks.</p><p>When you are thirsty drink water, drink milk with your meals and leave sweet drinks for only once in awhile, (special occasions).</p><p>Bring water to school not juice boxes, Capri sun, Gatorade etc. These drinks can cause tooth decay and extra weight gain. Show sugar content of drinks.</p><p>5. Eat smaller amounts---bigger is not better. Refer to poster, explain portion sizes. Focus on this for the older grades. Explain the portion size kit.</p><p>6. Eat less fast-food (2 or less times per week) and make healthier fast food choices.</p><p>Lots of fast foods make for slow bodies. Choose 100% orange juice instead of soda. Buy a small hamburger. Try the salads with low fat dressing.</p><p>7. Spend less than 2 hours a day watching TV and playing video and computer games.</p><p>Studies show the more time kids spent watching TV or playing games, the less time they spend being physically active. These habits can lead to overweight.</p><p>8. Spend at least 1 hour a day being physically active. Being active strengthens your muscles. It is good for your heart. It makes your bones stronger, too. Moving around makes you feel good, no matter what activity you do. Benefits of Physical Activity  Makes you feel better  You can perform better in all physical activities  Reduces the risk of developing heart disease  Reduces the risk for developing high blood pressure  Reduces the risk for developing high cholesterol  Reduces the risk of developing some forms of cancer  Helps reduce body fat and maintain a healthy weight  Builds/maintains muscles, joints, bones  Reduces the risk of developing diabetes  Raises your energy level  Helps maintain a healthy weight  Increases confidence and self-esteem What are your favorite activities? Examples of Different Types of Physical Activity: Dancing (Salsa!) Soccer Walking the dog Baseball Walking to get the mail/paper Surfing Walking to a friend’s house Gymnastics Taking the stairs Bike riding Rollerblading Snowboarding Skateboarding Wakeboarding Shooting hoops Rock climbing Snow/water skiing Mowing the lawn Ballet, tap, jazz Jump rope, hula hoop Shopping (walk around the mall several times before you begin shopping) Set short-term goals to take steps toward achieving your long-term goals. Having a plan, means planning for success! The best way to stay fit is to build a lifestyle around it. Incorporate fitness into your everyday life. Try a combination of formal and informal fitness approaches. Walking to school, walking the dog, taking the stairs (Informal fitness). Formal includes being in a fitness class or on a sports team. How can you incorporate more activity into your lifestyle? What activities can you do at school breaks and recess? What can you do after school?</p><p>Eat right and keep active it’s easy to do. If you take care of your body, it will take care of you!! Background information: Portion sizes vary by food source, with the largest portions consumed at fast food establishments and the smallest at other restaurants. Between 1977 and 1996 food portion sizes increased both inside and outside the home for all </p>