The abcde's of nutrition!

Learning Nutrition is as easy as ABCDE
Children are taught from an early age to learn their ABC’s. Although important, recent research from the American Psychological Association has determined that it might be equally as important for children to learn their “ABCDE’s”.

What does ABCDE stand for?
ABCDE stands for “Act Boldly to Change Diet and Exercise”. This initiative begun when researchers found alarming statistics about the state of health experienced by modern day children. A few of these statistics are outlined below.

• Approximately 16-17 million children live within a home where they are at risk for experiencing hunger
• An estimated 1 in 3 children are overweight
• Only about 30% of US children partake in vigorous physical activity on a daily basis

What are some tips and tricks to Act Boldly and Change Diet and Exercise?

• Act Boldly
  • As a role model for your child: Eat nutritious foods and regularly partake in physical activity
  • As a gatekeeper: As a parents you have the power to purchase healthy foods and monitor the foods that your child consumes on a daily basis
  • As an advocate: Push daily for nutritious school lunches, and after-school exercise programs that keep children healthy and fit!
• Change Diet
  • By ensuring that your child eats foods that are low in fat and sugar
  • By implementing healthy and wholesome foods that are nutrient dense
  • By monitoring portion sizes
  • By Influencing children to make healthy choices and try new foods daily
• Change Exercise 
  • Set aside 60 minutes out of every day to go outside and PLAY with your children
  • Provide your children with gifts that promote physical activity; EX: basketballs, jump-ropes
  • Invite your child to partake in yard work and other activities around the home

References
ABCDE.(n.d.). Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.apa.org/topics/children/healthy-eating.aspx