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Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light Foods |
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Remember the classic game of Red Light, Green Light? You can turn this classic game into a fun teaching tool for your kids or grandkids! The benefit to this approach is that children learn to make their own smart food choices while parents and grandparents still maintain some control by setting limits.
About 16% of children and teens are overweight in the US. This trend can lead to long term health consequences such as diabetes, heart disease and premature death. Quick and convenient food can be found on nearly every corner, and portion sizes are growing larger and larger. So what can parents and grandparents do to keep these food problems in check?
Be a role model. Let your kids see you eat healthfully and be active. Demonstrate food choices based on moderation and balance. Be active as a family. Your kids will want to mimic your behaviors!
Parents should determine what, where and when food is served. Let your child determine how much she or she will eat. If portion control is difficult for your child, download this portion size card (PDF document).
Use the following food chart, entitled "GO, SLOW and WHOA Foods" to guide your children toward more healthful food choices. Make adaptations to this list as you see fit. Green light or "GO" foods are those your child can eat almost anytime. Yellow light of "SLOW" foods should be limited to a few times per week. Red light foods or "WHOA" foods should be eaten only once in a while or on special occasions.
The "we can!" (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) program is a new public health outreach program designed to help children ages 8-13. The program is a collaborative effort of four institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Download GO, SLOW and WHOA Foods (PDF)
Article written December 2007
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