For Parents of 2-5 year olds

1. For Parents of 2-5 year olds MyPlate. How Do I Rate?

2. What are the benefits of good eating habits? What is MyPlate? How do I use MyPlate for my family? What are easy ideas for foods my kids will like? Where do I find MyPlate? Overview

3. Benefits of Good Eating Habits • Promotes optimal growth and development • Maintains good health • Breakfast eating is associated with better performance in school • Establishes good lifelong eating habits and behaviors

4. What is MyPlate? • Visual cue to remind Americans to adopt healthy eating habits • Illustrates 5 food groups using a place setting • Customizable (even for 2-5 year olds!)

5. Key Messages of MyPlate Make at least half your grains whole grains Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk Make half your plate fruits and vegetables • Balance calories: • Enjoy your food but eat less • Avoid over-sized portions • Reduce: • Sugary drinks by drinking more water • Sodium

6. Applying MyPlate to 2-5 Year Olds • Balance calories • Kids’ portion sizes are smaller than adults • Enjoy physical activity • Enjoy more fruits, vegetables, whole grains • Make half the plate fruits and veggies • Choose whole grains, like 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal

7. Applying MyPlate, continued • Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk • Switch milk early so that your child will like it • Drink water instead of sugary drinks • Kids need more water, less sugary drinks • Reduce sodium • Read Nutrition Facts Labels and choose lower-sodium foods

8. Fruit Group What counts? • Any fruit or 100% fruit juice • Fresh, canned, frozen, or dried • Whole, cut-up, or pureed Make half your plate fruits and vegetables • Tip for 2-5 Year olds: • Try soft “finger” fruits, like bananas, peaches, and mangoes

9. Focus on Fruits • Be a good role model • Experiment with smoothies • Cut fruit in easy and fun-to-eat servings • Keep it simple – don’t mix fruit with other foods • Include fruit as a regular part of the mealtime • Look for and choose fruit options in restaurants

10. Vegetable Group What counts? • Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice • Raw, cooked • Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated • Whole, cut-up, or mashed Make half your plate fruits and vegetables • Tip for 2-5 Year olds: • Try yogurt dips to “dunk” veggies in

11. Vary your veggies • Invite your child to help in the kitchen • Keep thinly cut vegetables handy • Try bean dips, guacamole, & mild salsa • Grow a vegetable garden Yummy Yogurt Dip 1 c. plain low-fat yogurt 1 c. light mayonnaise 1 tsp. salt-free seasoning

12. Grain Group What counts? • Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or other grain • Two kinds: • Whole grains (whole wheat flour, bulgur, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, brown rice) • Refined grains (white flour, white bread, white rice) Make at least half your grains whole grains

13. Protein Food Group What counts? • 1 oz. meat, poultry, fish, seafood • ¼ cup cooked beans and peas • 1 egg • 1 Tbsp. peanut butter • ½ oz. nuts or seeds Go lean with your protein

14. Go lean with protein • Serve eggs • Try peanut butter with bananas, apples, or celery • Offer hummus as a snack or with a meal • Use ground turkey or soy crumbles in mixed dishes • Try lean turkey products for pizza, hotdogs, sausage • Serve tender lean meats cut in small bites • Prepare beans and peas with seasonings

15. Dairy Group What counts? • Milk, yogurt, and cheese • Does not include cream cheese, cream, butter • Does include calcium-fortified soymilk Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese

16. Low-Fat Dairy for 2-5 year olds • Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese • Gradually switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk • Keep small yogurt cups available for snacks or meals • Offer reduced-fat cheese with some snacks or meals • Cook with yogurt • Make dips with yogurt • Substitute yogurt for sour cream in recipes • Make smoothies

17. MyPlate Key Messages • Balancing calories: • Enjoy your food but eat less • Avoid oversized portions • Foods to Increase: • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables • Make sure at least half your grains whole grains • Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk • Foods to reduce: • Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals and choose the foods with lower numbers • Drink water instead of sugary drinks

18. Limit Empty Calorie Foods Empty Calorie Foods: Foods with solid fats and/or added sugars but little nutritional value • Limit solid fats • Eat less butter, stick margarine, shortening, lard • Eat less cakes, cookies, pizza, hot dogs, sausages, ice-cream • Choose baked, steamed, or broiled rather than fried • Limit foods with partially hydrogenated oils

19. Limit Empty Calorie Foods • Limit foods and drinks with added sugar • Allow few or no regular soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and fruit drinks • Set a reasonable limit on candy, cakes, cookies, and ice-cream, and enjoy them in small portions • Don’t use food as a reward for your child’s behavior Empty Calorie Foods: Foods with solid fats and/or added sugars but little nutritional value

20. Golden Rules of Feeding The parent is responsible for what, when, where The child is responsible for how much and whether1 • Be a good role model • Offer a variety of healthy foods • Be patient with your child • Let your children serve themselves

21. Use “MyPlate” as a Checklist!

22. Use “MyPlate” as a Checklist!

23. Finding “MyPlate”www.ChooseMyPlate.gov Click on “Preschoolers”

24. Finding “MyPlate”

25. How Will You Use MyPlate? In your small group, discuss the following: • What is the biggest feeding issue with your child? • What are some tips you learned today that may help reduce feeding issues with your 2-5 year old? • How do you think your child’s diet compares to MyPlate? How will you use MyPlate to help your child eat healthier?

26. MyPlate is Great! Why? • MyPlate is easy and fun! • ChooseMyPlate.gov has more resources. • Set the example for your children: • Balance calories • Increase fruits, vegetables, and whole grains • Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk • Reduce sodium • Drink water instead of sugary drinks • Use MyPlate as a checklist

27. For more nutrition information Visit www.kidseatright.org for more tips, articles, and recipes! Looking for a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist? It’s easy. Go to www.eatright.org and click, “Find a Registered Dietitian.” You can narrow your search by zip code and specialty area, such as sports nutrition, pediatric nutrition, or heart health. Content expertise contributed by: This presentation was developed with an educational grant to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation from Dannon.