https://www.choosemyplate.gov/families

A great resource for parents is the Choose MyPlate website. It provides fun and helpful resources and tips that work with all families. The articles provided within the page branch into information on local food grown in your area, eating on a budget and family-friendly recipes that you can do with your children. The biggest way children become comfortable and familiar with different food groups is giving them a place to interact and play with food. This can be done by having the child cut or peel veggies for the meal.

Another way to get children involved in healthy eating is through activities. The United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, provides a number of resources and activities for students starting as young as preschool. These activities are geared towards whole family interaction in the hope of making healthier choices.

The final section of the page is that of “Making Family Mealtimes Fun”. By sitting together and talking is a great way to connect as a family. The USDA provides some fun tips for families to make mealtimes more relaxed and interesting.

To integrate and introduce this website to our families is through a letter home. When starting the conversation about healthy eating and the steps to a healthy lifestyle, I would encourage them to visit the website. The website features quizzes that both parents and children can complete to get more knowledge of their basic food groups. It is a chance for parents to get the resources or tips to create a healthy home.