Teaching children about nutrition is a challenging endeavor, but this challenge can be fun for both parents and children. Education can begin in the grocery store when children ask for packaged foods to eat. Children as young as six or seven can be taught to read the labels on foods and assess the amount of sugar or fat in the food. They can then be coached to make healthier choices with a similar type of product or a substitution. For example, children can be taught to substitute 100% fruit leather strip for a sugary, artificially colored fruit leather strip. Similarly, it's easy to substitute baked tortilla chips for those that are fried.

Using the food pyramid to teach children about a balanced diet can also be simple and fun. It takes only a few minutes each day for your child to "map out" their daily diet on a blank pyramid chart and to identify which kind of food they need to eat more of, and which they need to cut back on.

Recent research reveals that obesity in children is rising. Children spend more time each day watching television, playing video games, and eating high fat and high sugar convenience foods. Families who set limits for the use of electronic media and offer fruits and vegetables as snacks are promoting good health and a healthy weight for their children for a lifetime.

Fresh air and sunshine are important for all of us, winter or summer. Regular daily exercise is important to keep our bodies fit and running well. Children who begin the habit of regular daily outdoor exercise will want to practice it throughout the year.

Family walks, games, and trips to our many local parks encourage both fitness and fun for all.