Good Fuel!
Remember good nutrition is the foundation for all ages to promote good health! It’s a disturbing fact that one out of three kids in the United States is obese, which leads to illness and disease. It’s never too late to provide healthy food choices and to help your child develop good eating habits.

• Healthy diets require certain calorie levels and a balance of the food groups which include protein, carbohydrates and fat. Check out this link for the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.
• Don’t skip breakfast! It’s truly the most important meal of the day! Try a breakfast shake with fruit, yogurt & milk for a change, or some oatmeal with fruit and a little cinnamon. If you serve cold cereals stick to ones with under 10 grams of sugar and add some fresh fruit.
• Provide healthy, quick to grab after school snacks like fruit, protein bars, low fat cheese, whole grain snacks, yogurt or fresh veggies.
• Those toddler age picky eaters-don’t lose the battle! Here are some great tips to help you help them, as well as help you keep your sanity!
  

Help Your Teen Connect with the Community!
It has been proven that teens who are active in the community;

• Do better in school
• Tend to stay out of trouble
• Are less likely to become depressed or suicidal
• Are more likely to become independent and successful adults
• Get to meet other people as well as discover their passions and talents
• Discover that helping others helps them feel better about themselves

Your teen can find volunteer opportunities by checking with the schools, your place of worship, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, nursing homes, senior centers, child care centers, political campaigns or local community based radio stations. They could help tutor another child, coach or help clean up the neighborhood. There are many opportunities for them to help out!

Safe Baby Bottles?
Many baby bottles (and other food containers) are made of polycarbonate, or have a lining that contains the chemical bisphenol A (BPA). Research has raised some concerns over the safety of these materials.

To reduce exposure:

• Avoid clear plastic with the recycling number 7 and the letters “PC” imprinted on them.
• Use certified or identified BPA-free plastic bottles.
• Use bottles made of opaque plastic. (These bottles, made of polyethylene or polypropylene, do not contain BPA.)
• Look for the recycle symbol with 2 or 5
• Heat may cause the release of BPA from plastic
  • Do not boil polycarbonate bottles
  • Do not heat polycarbonate bottles in the microwave
  • Do not wash polycarbonate bottles in the dishwasher

As always, for more safety tips, resources and our Favorite Reading List check out our Resource page. You can also sign up for our monthly Newsletter (on the left column of this page) or read our past Newsletter issues.

Enjoy the beauty of the changing season and cooler days!