Help Me Be Healthy – I am 4.5
Help me choose healthy foods
- I will soon be 5 years old! I still have lots of growing to do. Please help me.
- Teach me how to choose healthy foods. I will need to know what to eat at school.
- Help me learn to balance. If we choose ice cream, let’s top it with fresh strawberries.
- Help me try new foods. Let’s do it once a week. We could make a stir-fry. I can wash the vegetables.
- Please trust me to know when I am hungry and when I am full. Don’t force me to eat or “clean my plate.”
- Eating breakfast helps me learn. If I don’t eat, I am too hungry to think or listen.
- Let’s plan breakfast the night before. At night we can put the cereal box, bowls, and spoons on the table. In the morning, we can get out the milk and fruit.
Ask about the breakfast and lunch program at my school.
Offer me safe foods
- Give me foods that are bite sized and easy for me to chew.
- Stay with me when I try foods I can choke on: raw hard vegetables, grapes, peanut butter, nuts, popcorn, dried fruits, hot dogs, and chunks of meat.
Growing up isn’t always easy
I need you to talk with me and listen. Here are words that are sweeter than candy: You are special!
- You are trying really hard!
- You are doing a good job!
- I love you!
- I am proud of you!
Make our family meals relaxed
- Let’s wash our hands before and after we eat. I like to copy what you do. I will help set the table.
- Let’s sit and eat together. I feel special sharing this time with our family. Can we turn o all our TVs and cell phones while we eat?
- I like to serve myself. Show me how to pass food around the table and practice my manners.
- I am getting better with my fork and spoon! I can use a napkin to wipe my mouth and hands.
- I can help clear the table after we eat.
Every day offer me:
Grains
4-5 servings of grain
1 slice bread or tortilla
½ cup cooked cereal, rice, or noodles
1 cup cold cereal
5 to 7 small crackers
Half the grains I eat should be whole grains.
Vegetables
3-4 servings of vegetables
- ½ cup vegetables
- ½ cup vegetable or tomato soup
- 4 ounces vegetable or tomato juice
- 1 cup fresh salad greens
Offer me a dark green or orange vegetable every day.
Fruits
2-3 servings of fruits
- ½ cup fruit
- 4 ounces 100% fruit juice
Offer me a vitamin C fruit every day— oranges, strawberries, or WIC juice.
No more than 4 ounces of juice a day.
Protein
3-5 servings of protein
- ¼ cup meat, chicken, turkey, or fish
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup beans or tofu
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Beans, meat, chicken, turkey, and fish, give me lots of iron to keep my blood strong.
Dairy
5 servings of dairy
- 4 ounces nonfat or 1% milk
- ½ cup lowfat yogurt
- 1 slice lowfat cheese
No more than 16 ounces of milk a day.
WIC gives me lowfat milk. It’s what I need.
Fats, Oils & Sweets
Only a little bit
Let’s cook
Sweet Potato Fries
1 medium sweet potato, about 5 inches long 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Cinnamon or ginger to taste Preheat oven to 400 ̊ F.
Scrub and peel sweet potato. Cut the sweet potato in half, lengthwise. Place halves on a cutting board, with at sides down. Cut into fries 3 inches long, ¼ inch thick and ½ inch wide. Cut into bite sized pieces for younger children.
In a large bowl, mix oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon or ginger. Add sweet potato strips and stir to coat them with oil and spice mixture. Place coated strips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender.
Makes 2 servings, ½ cup each.
I can help pack a lunch
- I like to spread peanut butter on bread.
- I will cut soft foods with a plastic knife.
- I want to peel hard-boiled eggs, oranges, and bananas.
- Let me wash fruits and vegetables.
I can make a sandwich
Let’s play
- I can run, hop, and throw a ball.
- Let’s play my favorite games like hide-and-seek.
- Can we make a play date with my friends?
- We can explore the world together. Let’s pretend we are animals in the jungle.
- In all kinds of weather, we can play safely together.
- I like stories. Can we read together?
Keep me safe and healthy
- Help me put on sunscreen when I play outside.
- Teach me rules for safety and help me follow them.
- Be sure to buckle me into my booster seat before I ride in the car.
- Limit my screen time to no more than 1 or 2 hours a day.
- Keep me away from tobacco smoke, matches, and lighters.
- Before I go to school, make sure I have all my shots and a lead test.
I want my teeth to be healthy
- Take me to the dentist every 6 months.
- Keep coaching me to brush my teeth morning and night. I need your help with spots I miss.
- I still need a small toothbrush and a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste. Make sure I spit out the toothpaste after brushing.
- Please help me floss my teeth once a day to clean between them.
- Can you get me a new toothbrush that’s just for me? This is one thing I should not share.
- Give me water to drink when I am thirsty. Sugary drinks can give me cavities.
Utah WIC Program 1-877-WIC-KIDS
or 1-877-942-5437