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Picture this: you’re at the grocery story accompanied by your hungry toddler. Although this might seem like a daunting task, there are ways of turning this mundane outing into an opportunity for interaction, conversation and fun!

Kids are curious creatures, they want to know everything about anything. Children learn through imitation (copying others: primarily their parents and caregivers) and induction (noticing patterns by personal experience). Therefore, the grocery store is a great platform to learn about food and social interactions.

As a child browses the grocery store shelves, this is where the best education takes place. Children are given the opportunity to see and learn about a variety of foods, other than what comes home with you. Here, kids can view food’s different colors, shapes and smells. With this hands-on approach, it’s a great opportunity to talk about healthy foods, where foods come from, and may even help motivate a picky eater to try something new. Let your child choose foods they want to bring home as it will help connect him or her to the food being prepared and thus much more likely to eat it. Furthermore, discuss why certain items do not end up in your cart and the importance that food plays in your health.

In addition to food education, children can practice their social skills while at the grocery store. Children can benefit from seeing, meeting and interacting with different people. This helps a child learn that people come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Also, while grocery shopping, it’s a great opportunity to experience and practice social skills such as waiting your turn, being respectful to others, speaking politely and asking for help. As parents and caregivers, it’s important to realize the value of human interaction and real-life experiences. Furthermore, nonverbal communication is an important part of communicating and it includes facial expressions, eye contact, tone of voice as well as posture. In a world that children use digital communication extensively, it can limit the face to face experiences necessary for them to develop and master appropriate social skills.

So next time you’re preparing your grocery store list, consider taking the kids! View it as an outing and opportunity to learn. What will you cook up? Ready, set, shop!

About Melinda Scheibe

Melinda received a B.S. in Nutrition from Illinois State University. Upon graduation, she joined Well Child Center and is actively working as a WIC Nutritionist and Development Associate. Melinda is committed to her career as a Nonprofit professional, empowering families to reach their maximum potential.

Have you ever thought about making a lifestyle change to improve your eating habits? But you felt overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start? There’s no question about it, ditching bad habits and adopting good ones can be challenging. Overhauling your diet is a process that takes time and requires commitment.

March is National Nutrition Month (NNM) and a great opportunity to learn more about quality nutrition and to begin making lifestyle modifications. NNM was created in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to promote healthy eating habits, nutrition education and celebrates the people who endorse a healthy lifestyle.

So why is it important to make healthier choices when it comes to diet? Because the food and beverages we chose to consume directly impacts our long-term health. Therefore, what we eat and drink matters! The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes the importance of creating a healthy eating routine to maintain optimal health and reduce the risk of disease. So here are some tips to help you “spring” into a new season and new lifestyle:

• Discover benefits of healthy eating
• Start with small changes to build a healthier you
• Eat a variety of foods to consume a variety of nutrients
• Make half your plate fruit and vegetables
• Make half your grains whole grains
• Consume low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt choices
• Consume lean meats and vary your protein sources
• Drink and eat less sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars
• Be mindful of appropriate food portions
• Select healthier options when eating away from home
• Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week
• Keep it simple-eating right doesn’t have to be complicated

Helpful links:

https://www.eatright.org/

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/

About Melinda Scheibe

Melinda received a B.S. in Nutrition from Illinois State University. Upon graduation, she joined Well Child Center and is actively working as a WIC Nutritionist and Development Associate. Melinda is committed to her career as a Nonprofit professional, empowering families to reach their maximum potential.

Picture a toddler stubbornly shifting food back and forth on his plate refusing to eat. Next, he throws broccoli to the ground in disgust hoping you’ll serve something more appetizing. For many parents this scene is all too familiar. And as tiring as this may be, it is important to find ways to persuade your child to eat their vegetables. But why? Is proper nutrition really that important? If a child refuses to eat broccoli is it really that big of a deal? The answer is YES.

The relationship between nutrition, health and childhood development is undeniably strong. Research studies show that nutrition during a child’s early years are linked to their health and academic performance in later years. Children are highly impressionable as habits and routines begin to form at a young age. Therefore, choices that parents and children make early on regarding nutrition and lifestyle can last a lifetime. Consider the following nutrition information pertaining to early child development:

BABY. During this first stage of life it’s all about the milk: breastmilk, formula or a combination of both. Breastmilk and/or formula provides an infant with every nutrient needed for the first 4-6 months of life. Next, begin introduction to solid foods by offering iron-fortified cereals, strained fruits and vegetables and pureed meats. Signs that an infant is ready to begin solids is your baby can sit with good head support, the infant’s mouth will open as a spoon approaches and your baby can easily hold objects in his or her hand. Introduce all new foods one at a time to screen for allergies, giving each new food a 3-5-day grace period. Begin with small amounts of food and offer more as your infant grows older.

YOUNG CHILDREN. Between the ages of 1-5 years old, toddlers and preschoolers grow in spurts and their appetites will be inconsistent. One day they may eat a lot and others they will hardly eat anything at all. This is normal and reiterates why offering healthy food options are so important. Offer meals routinely as young children thrive off routine. Prepare meals that contain a variety of foods as it will provide your child’s diet with a variety of vitamins and minerals. Avoid processed foods as these are full of empty calories which are calories that do not hold any nutritional value. Also, as your child begins to form likes and dislikes it’s important to re-introduce all foods because a child’s taste buds are continuously changing.

After a full day’s work, a parent or caregiver then begins juggling the evening duties of cooking dinner, household chores, paying bills and helping complete that night’s homework assignment. It’s exhausting! And amid the chaos tricking your child to eat what they don’t want to might not seem worth the headache and inevitable tantrum. But persevere! Good nutrition sets the foundation for all the days to follow. I promise your child will thank you one day.

Helpful links:

• https://www.choosemyplate.gov/
• https://www.eatright.org/
• https://kellymom.com/
• https://www.lllusa.org/

About Melinda Scheibe

Melinda received a B.S. in Nutrition from Illinois State University. Upon graduation, she joined Well Child Center and is actively working as a WIC Nutritionist and Development Associate. Melinda is committed to her career as a Nonprofit professional, empowering families to reach their maximum potential.